'That’s f*****g crazy': Joe Rogan issues warning to Donald Trump over 'gay hairdresser'

The Trump administration invoked the 1798 Alien Enemies Act to expedite deportations.

PUBLISHED APR 1, 2025

The US has deported 17 more "violent criminals" to El Salvador’s maximum-security prison.

Austin, Texas: Podcast host Joe Rogan and liberal Donald Trump supporter has publicly criticized President Trump’s use of the Alien Enemies Act to deport suspected gang members to a notorious El Salvadoran prison, warning that innocent people may be caught in the dragnet.

The policy, intended to target violent criminals, has sparked lawsuits and outcry after reports emerged that legal immigrants—including a gay hairdresser and a Venezuelan asylum seeker—were wrongly swept up in raids and sent to what Rogan called a "hell on earth" detention facility.

Rogan referenced a report detailing the case of a detained hairdresser who pleaded, "I’m not a gang member. I’m gay. I’m a barber."

During a recent episode of The Joe Rogan Experience, Rogan expressed alarm over the potential for errors in the deportation process. "You got to get scared that people who are not criminals are getting lassoed up and deported and sent to, like, El Salvador prisons," he said. "Innocent gay hairdressers [shouldn’t] get lumped up with the gangs."

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Rogan referenced a Time magazine report detailing the case of a detained hairdresser who pleaded, "I’m not a gang member. I’m gay. I’m a barber," as guards forced him to the ground. Another alleged victim, Venezuelan makeup artist Andrys Hernandez, claims he was deported despite fleeing persecution for his sexuality. "If you want reasonable, compassionate people on board with you, you can’t deport gay hairdressers seeking asylum," Rogan argued. "That’s f**king crazy."

The Trump administration invoked the 1798 Alien Enemies Act, a wartime measure, to expedite deportations of alleged Tren de Aragua and MS-13 gang members. However, Judge James Boasberg blocked further deportations under the act and ordered flights mid-air to return—a directive the administration ignored. The case is now before the Supreme Court.

Meanwhile, the US has deported 17 more "violent criminals" to El Salvador’s maximum-security prison, where detainees endure 23.5-hour lockdowns in sweltering, overcrowded cells. Critics call the facility a "black hole of human rights", but the Trump administration defends the partnership with Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele, praising his tough-on-crime approach.