Seeing Humanity in Every Face

Breaking the cycle of othering and dehumanization in a society gone fascist

Illustration by the Author

In the quiet hours before dawn, sleep eludes me. My mind repeatedly conjures the faces of those confined within CECOT’s walls — men whose humanity has been reduced to oppressed huddled masses, whose stories remain untold beyond chain-link fences and concrete barriers. The image of planes idling on the tarmac in Texas, poised to transport more immigrants to this modern-day pit of hell, haunts my waking thoughts. CECOT represents not merely another detention facility but rather a symbolic nadir in our collective moral descent — a place where due process goes to die.

The recent Supreme Court intervention halting additional transports to CECOT was a welcome momentary reprieve. Although this judicial intervention provides temporary relief, we must recognize it for what it is: not a declared victory, but merely a pause in an ongoing struggle. As Holocaust survivor and Nobel Peace Prize recipient Elie Wiesel observed,

“Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented.”

The battle against institutional dehumanization demands sustained vigilance. Filing complaints with the UN…