Columbus, GA – Advocacy groups have filed an amended habeas corpus petition demanding the release of Edicson David Quintero Chacón, a Venezuelan migrant unlawfully detained in El Salvador’s Terrorism Confinement Center (CECOT). The U.S. government has paid to imprison Quintero and over 200 others at the notorious facility since March, despite his pending federal lawsuit challenging his indefinite detention.
Background: From ICE Custody to CECOT
Quintero, a 28-year-old carpenter, fisherman, and father of two, surrendered to U.S. immigration authorities in 2024. After being detained at Georgia’s Stewart Detention Center for eight months, he filed a habeas petition in February 2025, arguing his prolonged detention was unlawful since deportations to Venezuela were impossible. Instead of addressing his case, the U.S. government transferred him to CECOT—a prison condemned for human rights abuses.
“Worse Than Anything We Could Have Imagined”
CECOT has been denounced by Human Rights Watch (HRW) for systemic torture, inhumane conditions, and due process violations. Juanita Goebertus, HRW’s Americas Division Director, stated in a sworn declaration that detainees face “lack of access to adequate healthcare and food.”
Quintero’s family described his imprisonment as agonizing. “We can’t sleep or eat,” a relative said. “Edicson was terrified of indefinite detention in the U.S. or Guantánamo, but CECOT is worse than anything we could have imagined.”
Legal Experts Condemn “Breathtaking Departure from Rule of Law”
Rebecca Cassler of the American Immigration Council warned that the U.S. is using CECOT to impose “life imprisonment for lacking immigration status“—a practice barred under U.S. law.
Stephanie Alvarez-Jones of the National Immigration Project called Quintero’s detention “legally baseless” and “a clear disregard for human dignity.”
CJ Sandley of the Center for Constitutional Rights compared the policy to Guantánamo’s history of incommunicado detention, accusing the administration of “performative cruelty.”
No Due Process, No Justification
Quintero was given no opportunity to challenge his transfer to CECOT. Legal advocates argue his continued detention violates U.S. and international law, exposing what they call the administration’s “barbaric” immigration tactics.
The amended petition seeks his immediate release, challenging the legality of the U.S.-funded detentions in El Salvador.
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