Staff Reports
Senator Chris Van Hollen’s recent trip to El Salvador has sparked outrage among Americans who expect their elected officials to prioritize the safety and interests of their own constituents. Instead, Van Hollen chose to fly overseas to advocate for Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a man deported from Maryland and alleged by law enforcement to be affiliated with the notorious MS-13 gang—a group designated as a terrorist organization and synonymous with brutal violence, human trafficking, and the exploitation of minors. This is the very gang President Trump’s administration worked tirelessly to remove from American communities, yet we now see a sitting U.S. senator championing the cause of a suspected member while crime victims in his state are left behind.
Tom Homan, former border czar under President Trump, did not mince words, calling Van Hollen’s actions “disgusting.” Homan rightly pointed out that while Van Hollen is busy playing international defense attorney for a suspected gang member, Maryland recently made headlines for releasing an illegal alien charged with murder, despite ICE’s request to detain him. This is the kind of upside-down prioritization that has become all too common among progressive politicians, who seem more interested in virtue signaling to the global left than in upholding their sworn duty to protect American citizens.
The facts of the case are clear: Abrego Garcia was apprehended in Maryland, identified by local police as an MS-13 affiliate, and deported following what officials described as an “administrative error.” Despite no criminal convictions, the suspicion and evidence of gang ties were enough for law enforcement to consider him a public safety threat. Yet, Van Hollen has spent days in El Salvador, even sharing photos of his meeting with Abrego Garcia, advocating for his return to the U.S. Meanwhile, President Bukele of El Salvador, who has led a wildly popular and effective crackdown on gangs, made it clear that Abrego Garcia will remain in Salvadoran custody—mocking the senator’s concern for the prisoner’s welfare.
This episode exposes the glaring disconnect between the priorities of American families and those of the political class. While President Trump’s administration delivered a historic drop in illegal border crossings and ramped up the deportation of dangerous criminals, progressive politicians continue to undermine these efforts by championing the rights of those accused of terrorizing our communities. The message sent to law-abiding Americans is that their safety is secondary to the political ambitions and globalist sympathies of their representatives.
It’s time for elected officials to remember who they serve. The American people deserve leaders who will stand up for victims, support law enforcement, and keep our streets safe, not those who rush to the side of suspected gang members in foreign prisons. If politicians like Van Hollen spent half as much energy defending their constituents as they do defending criminals abroad, America would be a safer, more just nation. Until then, it’s up to voters to hold them accountable and demand a return to common sense and real leadership.
