This morning, Senator Chris Van Hollen of Maryland is on his way to El Salvador to argue personally for the release of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, the Maryland resident wrongly kidnapped and now imprisoned without charge in that country’s CECOT prison.
Politics aside, this should stir the conscience of all Americans. Right is Right and Wrong is Wrong. Period. This is Not American. This is Not Fair. I really couldn’t care less about the politics.
I hope more people start talking about this in human terms rather than media/pundit language. Sure, no due process, deported, administrative error, etc - we all know what that means, but that language does not confront the Republican desire to rationalize what they've done. It doesn't force anyone to see any of these men as human beings. It is less likely to trigger empathy, if they have any empathy left.
Instead of "due process" I want to hear "imprisoned without ever being charged with a crime" and "no chance to prove his innocence".
Instead of "deport" I want to hear "sent to a foreign prison by mistake".
Instead of "is a father" I want to hear "leaving his three children without a father".
And if Dems don't expand this to the rest of the men sent to CECOT, then shame on us.
This is not a one-off, it is an illegal and immoral policy. The government, in our name, has sent over 200 other people to that same foreign prison, most of which have never been charged with a crime, none of them given a chance to prove their innocence, and all leaving families without a father, a brother, a son.
Make people feel the impact, and particularly, make Republicans uncomfortable. It might break through for a few, and regardless, they all deserve it.
Hell yes. Let's fight with everything we have to keep the pressure on. This is horrific and everyone understands that. Thank you, Dan, for laying out the facts. We should all use them to refute the lies that magats tell.
Why aren’t we seeing more of this in the media. I call and call my reps but no one is making enough noise. I protest. What else can we do to make our government do to stand up for Garcia, and by extension, for ALL of us?
Thank you so much for this. Forget tarrifs; this nightmare should be given full front page coverage on every media outlet. For thosd of us who have never felt compelled to call their representatives, or participate in peaceful protest, write letters to the editor, talk to your neighbors, etc. this might have to be the time to start. This is a hill worth dying on. I hope a larger group of senators and representatives follow Van Hollen…he needs backup.
Actually, I was very heartened to see clips of Senator Chuck Grassley being bombarded by questions and shouted comments at his recent town hall. Shouted questions about tariffs, DOGE and Abrego Garcia. One man in a MAGA shirt shouted at him wanting to know how he was going to get “that man” out of a foreign prison. The NY Times had stories about representatives in Idaho and Utah getting shouted down at weak-kneed answers to questions about Abrego Garcia.
The humanity of this story seems to have broken through to at least some of the Trump voters.
BTW, tariffs have also broken through. I think persuadable Trump voters are finally seeing a stupid an incompetent man with the tariff issue. And a cruel and corrupt man with the Abrego Garcia issue.
Dan is right. We need to continue to share this story as much as we can, snd keep pressure on our elected offivials.
They can't let him return, the optics of him being reunited with his family will be terrible for them. Every major news outlet will want to interview him while he holds his children, putting a human face on all their atrocities. Imagine if he says "my faith in Jesus Christ is the only thing that kept me going" and embarrasses all the fake Christians in this administration. They will ask El Salvador to execute him before they let him come home.
This is why I am glad the ivy League college presidents have started to speak up. What is the endowment for if not to offer them the freedom to defy a tyrant.
Dems must start proposing all the changes now. Make them your agenda. Start showing how much better we can govern. I know nothing gets past but right now it’s about stealing back the attention cycle. Propose how we fix immigration. Propose how we increase manufacturing in America. Propose how we get the budget inline by taxing wealthy people. Get your agenda out there and do it loudly
Just saw on Instagram that the president of the building trades union is calling forcefully for the return of Kilmar Abrego Garcia. This president gave a powerful speech with a large number of union members behind him--Abrego Garcia's union brothers.
This morning, Senator Chris Van Hollen of Maryland is on his way to El Salvador to argue personally for the release of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, the Maryland resident wrongly kidnapped and now imprisoned without charge in that country’s CECOT prison.
Why aren’t we having an impeachment hearing immediately for ignoring a court order. That violates his oath
Why? Because Trump's ass is apparently big enough to fit the heads of the entire Republican Congress.
Rs are AWOL, so maybe we can be more vocal about that.
Politics aside, this should stir the conscience of all Americans. Right is Right and Wrong is Wrong. Period. This is Not American. This is Not Fair. I really couldn’t care less about the politics.
I hope more people start talking about this in human terms rather than media/pundit language. Sure, no due process, deported, administrative error, etc - we all know what that means, but that language does not confront the Republican desire to rationalize what they've done. It doesn't force anyone to see any of these men as human beings. It is less likely to trigger empathy, if they have any empathy left.
Instead of "due process" I want to hear "imprisoned without ever being charged with a crime" and "no chance to prove his innocence".
Instead of "deport" I want to hear "sent to a foreign prison by mistake".
Instead of "is a father" I want to hear "leaving his three children without a father".
And if Dems don't expand this to the rest of the men sent to CECOT, then shame on us.
This is not a one-off, it is an illegal and immoral policy. The government, in our name, has sent over 200 other people to that same foreign prison, most of which have never been charged with a crime, none of them given a chance to prove their innocence, and all leaving families without a father, a brother, a son.
Make people feel the impact, and particularly, make Republicans uncomfortable. It might break through for a few, and regardless, they all deserve it.
Hell yes. Let's fight with everything we have to keep the pressure on. This is horrific and everyone understands that. Thank you, Dan, for laying out the facts. We should all use them to refute the lies that magats tell.
Why aren’t we seeing more of this in the media. I call and call my reps but no one is making enough noise. I protest. What else can we do to make our government do to stand up for Garcia, and by extension, for ALL of us?
Thank you so much for this. Forget tarrifs; this nightmare should be given full front page coverage on every media outlet. For thosd of us who have never felt compelled to call their representatives, or participate in peaceful protest, write letters to the editor, talk to your neighbors, etc. this might have to be the time to start. This is a hill worth dying on. I hope a larger group of senators and representatives follow Van Hollen…he needs backup.
Actually, I was very heartened to see clips of Senator Chuck Grassley being bombarded by questions and shouted comments at his recent town hall. Shouted questions about tariffs, DOGE and Abrego Garcia. One man in a MAGA shirt shouted at him wanting to know how he was going to get “that man” out of a foreign prison. The NY Times had stories about representatives in Idaho and Utah getting shouted down at weak-kneed answers to questions about Abrego Garcia.
The humanity of this story seems to have broken through to at least some of the Trump voters.
BTW, tariffs have also broken through. I think persuadable Trump voters are finally seeing a stupid an incompetent man with the tariff issue. And a cruel and corrupt man with the Abrego Garcia issue.
Dan is right. We need to continue to share this story as much as we can, snd keep pressure on our elected offivials.
They can't let him return, the optics of him being reunited with his family will be terrible for them. Every major news outlet will want to interview him while he holds his children, putting a human face on all their atrocities. Imagine if he says "my faith in Jesus Christ is the only thing that kept me going" and embarrasses all the fake Christians in this administration. They will ask El Salvador to execute him before they let him come home.
I do fear exactly that, but we have to try to create the pressure to spring this guy.
This is why I am glad the ivy League college presidents have started to speak up. What is the endowment for if not to offer them the freedom to defy a tyrant.
Dems must start proposing all the changes now. Make them your agenda. Start showing how much better we can govern. I know nothing gets past but right now it’s about stealing back the attention cycle. Propose how we fix immigration. Propose how we increase manufacturing in America. Propose how we get the budget inline by taxing wealthy people. Get your agenda out there and do it loudly
Even the “late, great Hannibal Lecter” got a trial by jury.
They are kind of pathetic, aren't they? Yay for Chris Van Hollen!
Dan you guys preach getting out there. This feels poll tested. Good polls but really we should be out there on this issue because we are right
Checkout these maps about Kilmar Abrego Garcia.
How Trump defies Supreme Court with concentration camps in El Salvador: Follow this map
https://thedemlabs.org/2025/04/15/trump-deportation-el-salvador-concentration-camp-judge-xinis-abrego-garcia/
Grabbed by men in masks? Was that ICE? Check the United States DISAPPEARED TRACKER!
https://thedemlabs.org/2025/04/15/ice-disappears-americans-united-states-disappeared-tracker/
Just saw on Instagram that the president of the building trades union is calling forcefully for the return of Kilmar Abrego Garcia. This president gave a powerful speech with a large number of union members behind him--Abrego Garcia's union brothers.