At Wednesday’s House Homeland Security Committee hearing, Democratic New York Rep. Dan Goldman clashed with Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem over Kilmar Abrego Garcia, who did not get due process, which is afforded to everyone in the US according to the Constitution.
“Will you give Mr. Abrego-Garcia the due process that the Supreme Court and Judge Wilkinson have required you to give him?” Goldman asked Noem.
Abrego-Garcia is an El Salvador resident who is in his home country,” Noem said, missing the entire point. “If he were to come back to this country, he would be immediately removed again.”
“How do you know?” Goldman asked.
“He has received and been treated appropriately, sir, and he is not in this country anymore,” Noem insisted.
“How can you say he’s been treated appropriately if the Supreme Court has ruled 9-0, 9-0 that he hasn’t been treated appropriately?” Goldman shot back. “Why is your opinion better and has more authority than the Supreme Court?”
“We had two judges, investigators, two judges, an immigration court that all said he was MS-13 and was removed from this country,” Noem lied.
“But you understand, that is you saying that,” Goldman said. “That is you saying that.”
“That is them saying that,” she said.
“No, no, no, no!” the New York Democrat said. “That is you making that determination. The court has considered all that. The judge has considered all that, Madam Secretary, and if you would be quiet because I’m reclaiming my time, you are not following this court order.”
“But let’s focus on the court order because this opinion also says that to facilitate, which the Supreme Court is requiring, is an active verb,” he continued. It requires that steps be taken. What steps have you taken to return Mr. Abrego-Garcia to allow him to get due process?”
“Abrego-Garcia is in his home country,” she insisted.
“What steps have you taken?” Goldman asked again. He explained, “I’m not advocating for him. I’m advocating for a court order, Madam Secretary.”
“The court order says that you must take steps to follow the court order,” he continued. “You are here under oath. What steps have you taken to return Mr. Abrego-Garcia pursuant to this court order?”
“It’s got to be extremely discouraging to be one of your constituents,” Noem said. “To see you fight for a terrorist like this and not fight for them is extremely alarming to me.”
“I’m fighting for due process,” Goldman said. “And that’s under the Constitution, and you should fight too for due process.”
The US Supreme Court ordered the government to “facilitate” the return of the wrongly deported Maryland man. If she just picks which parts of the Constitution she wants to follow, then she needs to step the fuck down. And Trump has been lying about the man, even to the point of posting a poorly photoshopped image of Abrego Garcia with a fake MS-13 tattoo.