The ugly case of Kilmar Abrego Garcia

OPINION:

In politics, creating and then owning the narrative is the best way to deceive the public, especially when compliant media help promote it and ignore later information that contradicts the initial narrative.

Such has been the case of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a native of El Salvador who violated U.S. immigration laws and lived in Maryland for 13 years. The media describe him as a “Maryland man” simply because he lived in that state, though for fewer years than in his native country.

The Department of Homeland Security characterizes him differently. Assistant Homeland Security Secretary Tricia McLaughlin has an alternative and accurate narrative: “Garcia is an MS-13 gang member, illegal alien from El Salvador, and suspected human trafficker. The facts reveal he was pulled over with eight individuals in a car on an admitted three-day journey from Texas to Maryland with no luggage. The facts speak for themselves, and they reek of human trafficking. The media’s sympathetic narrative about this criminal illegal gang member has completely fallen apart. We hear far too much about the gang members and criminals’ false sob stories and not enough about their victims.”

Some media reports have described Mr. Abrego Garcia as a “family man.” In 2021, his wife applied for a protective order, saying he had beaten her. He admitted never to have been a legal U.S. resident. In April 2019, an immigration judge ordered him detained until a deportation hearing. That October, another immigration judge ordered Mr. Abrego Garcia deported. The order was never overturned or expired, and he remained in Maryland.

President Trump was president in 2019. He must have missed that one.

Last week, Sen. Chris Van Hollen, a Democrat and a real “Maryland man,” visited Mr. Abrego Garcia in his upgraded prison surroundings and came back claiming Mr. Abrego Garcia had been denied “due process.” As noted, Mr. Abrego Garcia received due process before two immigration judges. Is Mr. Van Hollen that misinformed? Several Republicans and conservative commentators have noted that Mr. Van Hollen has said virtually nothing about the victims of MS-13 and the victims of other criminal aliens.

Does Mr. Van Hollen think this is the best way for Democrats to improve their dismal poll numbers? Maybe he should join Sen. Bernard Sanders, the Vermont democratic socialist, and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a socialist from New York, on their anti-oligarchy road show. There are probably a few seats available on that large $15,000-per-hour private jet ferrying them around. Oh, the carbon footprints they are leaving!

Mr. Trump ran on and won largely on closing the border and deporting those who broke the law to come to America. Polls show a majority still support his deportation efforts.

Last week, the mother of Rachel Morin appeared in the White House briefing room. Patty Morin described how her daughter, a mother of five, was raped and murdered and her body stuffed into a tunnel drain. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt asked where Mr. Van Hollen’s sympathy was for her and other victims.

Good question. I sense a campaign theme for Republicans in next year’s congressional elections with relatives of others who have been raped and murdered telling their stories to the public. Voters are largely on their side and not on the side of Democrats, who have again picked the wrong issue, mistakenly hoping it will return them to power.

• Readers may email Cal Thomas at tcaeditors@tribpub.com. Look for Cal Thomas’ latest book, “A Watchman in the Night: What I’ve Seen Over 50 Years Reporting on America” (HumanixBooks).