As the Trump administration intensifies its immigration crackdown, even some of the president’s staunchest supporters are voicing concerns over his deportation policies.
On Saturday’s episode of The Joe Rogan Experience, the popular podcaster, who backed Trump in November, criticized a recent deportation operation, calling it “horrific.”
“You’ve got to be worried when people who aren’t criminals are being rounded up, deported, and sent to prisons in El Salvador,” Rogan said.
He specifically mentioned the case of Andry José Hernández Romero, a Venezuelan makeup artist and hairdresser seeking asylum in the U.S.
The 31-year-old was deported last month after the Trump administration accused him of ties to Tren de Aragua, a Venezuelan gang.
Immigration officials cited his tattoos—a pair of crowns on his wrists labeled “Mom” and “Dad”—as evidence.
However, experts argue that Tren de Aragua doesn’t typically use tattoos for identification, especially not ones like Hernández Romero’s.
“That’s bad for the cause,” Rogan said. “The goal is to remove gang members—everyone agrees on that. But innocent people, like a gay hairdresser, shouldn’t get lumped in.
And then what? How long before he gets out? Is there even a system to fix mistakes like this?”
Hernández Romero is one of over 200 Venezuelans the Trump administration has deported to El Salvador under the Alien Enemies Act, a 1798 law historically used only during wartime. The policy is now being challenged in court.
Rogan isn’t alone in his criticism. Conservative commentator Ann Coulter recently questioned the arrest of Mahmoud Khalil, a Columbia University graduate student and green-card holder, who was detained after participating in pro-Palestinian protests.
“There’s almost no one I don’t want to deport,” Coulter wrote on X, “but unless they’ve committed a crime, isn’t this a violation of the First Amendment?”
David J. Bier, director of immigration studies at the Cato Institute, warned that Trump’s policies could undermine constitutional protections.
“The government is sentencing people to what amounts to slave labor, torture, and prison in El Salvador—based on nothing,” Bier told The New York Times. “Once we start disregarding due process, we’re jeopardizing the rights of all citizens.”
While some right-wing pundits are speaking out, most elected Republicans have been hesitant to break with Trump publicly.
One exception is Rob Rue, the Republican mayor of Springfield, Ohio, a city Trump often criticized for its Haitian immigrant population.
Rue told Newsweek in February that ending Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haitian immigrants would harm the local economy and immigrant families.
“I support border security and immigration reform, but we need a fair system that gives hardworking immigrants a clear path forward instead of immediate deportation,” Rue said. “Hasty changes will hurt both immigrants and the economy.”
He added, “TPS provided hope and stability to many individuals under multiple administrations. The U.S. must continue being a beacon of democracy and opportunity.”
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