Ink as Evidence: How Cultural Tattoos Became Grounds for Deportation
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In recent news, I’ve noticed a trend: Latino bodies being criminalized simply for the art they carry on their skin. Tattoos, long a form of personal expression, storytelling, and cultural pride, are being misread as markers of criminality, especially under Trump-era immigration policies. And the consequences are devastating.
Let’s talk about the Venezuelan migrants who were detained or deported based on their tattoos. According to a 2024 Associated Press investigation, U.S. authorities labeled men as gang-affiliated because they had images like crowns, stars, or even religious symbols tattooed on their bodies—common designs that had nothing to do with gang life (AP News). These deportations happened without due process, purely on the assumption that these tattoos were gang-related.
Another report by Hyperallergic shared similar stories—migrants detained because of roses or theatrical masks inked on their skin (Hyperallergic). Their crime? Expressing themselves through art.
This isn’t just about individual cases. It’s a system weaponizing cultural identity against us.
A deeper dive into this issue comes from legal experts in a Supreme Court amicus brief (Asencio-Cordero v. Garland), where it’s made clear that law enforcement consistently uses tattoos as supposed “proof” of gang affiliation—whether they depict La Virgen de Guadalupe, Aztec symbols, or phrases like “Brown Pride” (SupremeCourt.gov). None of these symbols inherently indicate gang membership, yet they become convenient excuses for deportation, detention, and harassment.
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The Colonial Roots of This Criminalization
Let’s step back. This isn’t new. The demonization of cultural symbols has deep roots in colonialism. When the Spanish colonized Mesoamerica, they labeled Mayan, Aztec, and Nahua symbols as “pagan” or “savage”—tools to justify conquest and erasure. Those symbols were ripped from temples, outlawed in rituals, and nearly wiped from history.
Fast forward to today: when Salvadorans, Mexicans, and other Latinx folks tattoo these same symbols—glyphs, eagles, suns—they risk being profiled as criminals.
It’s the same playbook, just modernized.
First, they erased our history.
Now, they criminalize us for reclaiming it.
As the Washington Law Review points out, tattoos representing cultural heritage are consistently conflated with gang markers (Washington Law Review). Law enforcement doesn’t distinguish between a Mayan jaguar symbol and a gang tattoo—they just see brown skin and assume the worst.
Why I Create: Art as Resistance
As a Salvadoran artist, this hits home. My work is steeped in Mayan and Aztec iconography, not as fashion, but as a reclamation of what colonization tried to erase.
This is why I create. To resist. To reclaim. To tell stories that others try to silence.
Cultural expression—whether through tattoos, murals, or music—should never be a crime.
I invite you to:
Reflect on how law enforcement polices immigrant bodies and cultural art.
Stand against the racial profiling that targets our communities.
Support artists, storytellers, and activists who are reclaiming our histories.
