Venezuelan national Eduardo Daboin Rall describes a tearful, chaotic night as he and 27 others were nearly deported to El Salvador before a surprise court order reversed the trip. His story reveals fears, confusion, and a lack of explanation from ICE amid the controversial use of the Alien Enemies Act.
On a tense Friday night, Eduardo Daboin Rall, a Venezuelan immigrant held at ICE’s Bluebonnet detention facility in Texas, found himself on a bus headed toward what he believed was his final goodbye to the U.S.—and to his family. Alongside at least 27 other detainees, Rall had been placed on a deportation transport, with El Salvador as the unexpected destination.
The ride was silent and uncertain until the bus made an unexpected U-turn. “I felt nervous. It made me cry,” Rall told in News in Spanish from inside the facility.“It made me and the others pray and ask God. I was so nervous because I knew I wasn’t going to have any more communication with my family, and I knew they wouldn’t be able to communicate with me.”
That moment of relief came as a federal court hearing was underway to decide whether the government could lawfully deport the detainees under the Alien Enemies Act, a rarely used law invoked by President Donald Trump to target alleged gang members from groups like the Tren de Aragua.
But Daboin Rall says the deportation threat came with no explanation, and more importantly, no basis.
“My fellow [detainees] are really afraid that we’ll be deported to El Salvador,” Daboin Rall said. “There’s no reason for why they’re doing it, and there’s even less reason because I haven’t had any sort of criminal record in my country nor in this country.”
According to Rall, the detainees were handed removal notices but weren’t given the chance to understand them.“They didn’t explain the paper to us, and the paper didn’t have anything in Spanish. We were simply told that it was the AEA law, and we refused to sign because they didn’t translate the paper,”
We conducted a thorough background check and found no criminal record or gang affiliations tied to Rall. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and ICE have yet to respond to inquiries about his detention or the justification for his nearly executed removal.
Rall’s immigration journey began in 2023 when he entered the U.S. legally through the CBP One parole program. Since then, he says, he followed every protocol and check-in requirement with ICE. “I’ve never missed a court appearance. I’ve never missed an appointment with immigration or ICE,” Daboin Rall said. “The truth is: I don’t have any criminal record. I’ve done everything correctly according to the rules of this country.”
His wife, Judy, also spoke out, saying ICE first detained him about a year ago for an incident at home that led to no citations. After being processed in El Paso, he was released on bail and fitted with an ankle monitor.
According to both Daboin Rall and his wife, ICE never suggested his tattoos were linked to gang activity until after his re-arrest in March. He says he explained each tattoo to authorities during his initial detainment. “They have it registered,” he said.“I went tattoo by tattoo and told them what each one meant and that the tattoos had nothing to do with crime. All of them have to do with family and myself.”
Now, with the Supreme Court pausing the deportations for further review, Rall remains in uncertainty, but with a sliver of hope.
The legal battle continues, but for Daboin Rall and others like him, it’s a fight not just for legal standing, but for dignity, family, and a chance at a life free from fear.
