Staff Reports
Senator Chris Van Hollen’s recent trip to El Salvador is the latest example of how Democrats are prioritizing the interests of illegal immigrants—even those with alleged gang ties—over the safety and security of American citizens. Van Hollen traveled to advocate for Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Salvadoran national deported from Maryland after being identified by law enforcement as an MS-13 gang member. While Democrats claim this is a fight for “due process,” the optics of a U.S. senator lobbying for the return of someone with such a questionable background are deeply troubling for those who believe in law and order.
The facts surrounding Abrego Garcia’s case are clear: he entered the United States illegally and was apprehended alongside known MS-13 members in Maryland. Law enforcement reports and confidential informants identified him as a ranking member of the notorious gang, and he was denied bond by immigration judges who found the evidence of his affiliation credible. Despite lacking a formal criminal record, the threat posed by MS-13 is well documented, and the mere association with such a violent organization should be enough to raise red flags for any public official concerned with public safety.
Yet, instead of standing with the countless American families who have suffered at the hands of criminal illegal immigrants and gangs like MS-13, Democrats are pouring their energy into securing the release of Abrego Garcia from a Salvadoran prison. This is a slap in the face to victims of gang violence, like the family of Rachel Morin, a Maryland mother brutally murdered by an illegal immigrant. Her family’s pleas for justice and border security have been met with silence from the very politicians now championing the cause of a deported gang suspect.
Democrats’ actions reveal a stunning disconnect from the concerns of everyday Americans, who are demanding stronger borders and tougher enforcement, not sympathy for those who flout our laws and endanger our communities. The political fallout is predictable: By choosing to advocate for individuals like Abrego Garcia, Democrats are handing Republicans a powerful argument that the left cares more about the rights of illegal immigrants and alleged criminals than about the safety of American citizens.
In the end, this episode underscores a fundamental question: who do our elected officials truly represent? While Democrats continue to chase the approval of activist groups and the open-borders lobby, they risk alienating the vast majority of Americans who expect their leaders to put public safety and national sovereignty first. If the party of Van Hollen wants to regain credibility with the American people, it should start by standing with victims, not with those who threaten our communities.
