10 Comments
User's avatar
Daniel Portes's avatar

The problem is even bigger than Kilmar because none of them had due process. Trump’s insistence that he is above the law including the Supreme Court is the scariest part of this situation and we are only in the very beginning of his term.

Expand full comment
dave fuller's avatar

If Mr. Garcia should happen to pass-away while in prison in ElSalvador--Trump and the GOP can kiss any future hopes of holding onto power. We have seen the evil that one person can get away with---the time to do something is now---not next year or 2028---BUT RIGHT NOW.

Expand full comment
Dieter Harle's avatar

Actually - they could have brought him back on the same flight the Venezuelan president came to the White House….

Expand full comment
John M Dooley's avatar

If Trump succeeds in getting away with refusing court orders, he will do it again and again. I suspect that is his plan. Stiff the courts, turn the DOJ loose fighting court orders until the judiciary collapses. As for doing the right thing. When has Trump ever done that? He doesn't give a damn about anyone but himself and exhibits a flagrant disregard for rule of law.

Grassley has been worthless for decades. Now he's guilty of abetting Trump's fascist plot.

Expand full comment
Craig Malin's avatar

New York Times v. Sullivan, combined with Citizens United v. FEC, has created a hellscape of whoever lies best with the most money wins.

So ... welcome to the part where the Executive Branch controlling all the weaponry becomes problematic.

1863 to 2016. It was a pretty good run.

Expand full comment
Daniel Portes's avatar

Sorry Ed but one more travesty going on is the removal of students from universities because of their anti-Semitic rhetoric in which they have an issue of how egregiously Israel has conducted the war with Hamas and the treatment of the Palestinians. I am a Jew and have served as the president of my congregation. I am deeply hurt and embarrassed by Israel’s conduct which I believe is as close to genocide as I have witnessed in a country I have always supported and was very proud of in the past. While I never support hate speech I will always support free speech and that includes those I may disagree with. In this situation I do agree with their condemnation of Israel and find it extremely scary they are being removed from the country. I am not anti-semantic because I don’t support how the Palestinians are being treated and even if these students are anti-semantic I support their right to free speech and deplore Trump’s actions to remove them. Who knows maybe I’m next for speaking up and perhaps it will be an IRS audit or even something worse.

Expand full comment
Michael Freemire's avatar

It's interesting how an illegal alien who had two assault charges against him by his girlfriend then wife, numerous other offenses, and is known to have been associated with MS13 at some level is presumably the best of the deportees that can be mustered to be a deportation/illegal entry poster child.

The Pres. of El Salvador isn't returning this man. Pres. Trump can ask that the illegal alien of ill repute be returned for trial but to what end, deportation and wasting of taxpayers' money?

The illegal alien is home and presumably housed where the El Salvador government finds appropriate.

Let's find the next "crisis." "Move on" as they say.

Expand full comment
Daniel Portes's avatar

This is about due process which I believe is a critical part of democracy

Expand full comment
Michael Freemire's avatar

Assuming illegal aliens have the right to the same due process and you and I have, how does one apprehend someone in an El Salvador prison when the Pres. of the country has stated the prisoner is not going free?

Expand full comment
Daniel Portes's avatar

Mike while it’s easy to demonize him the courts said he was not guilty and the Supreme Court said bring him back and originally the courts said turn the planes around. Do you believe we are a country which is guided by the rule of law or by propaganda?

Expand full comment