Now Is a Good Time for the Democrats to Stop Overthinking This - Slate

[justaprogressive]

We all knew it was coming, but now we’re at the part of the script where Trump might ruin the central bank. House Republican moderates are warning that they won’t agree to Medicaid cuts, but guess what? They will. Harvard University has made the list, though it will probably complain to the teacher about its placement.

snip

Maryland Sen. Chris Van Hollen is not a camera hog. He’s a longtime member of Congress turned senator who tends to his state and has an expert understanding of the budget and appropriations. This week, though, national news was glued to him as he traveled to El Salvador to try to visit the notorious prison where the Trump administration sent Kilmar Abrego Garcia by “administrative error.” Van Hollen said that guards who were “under orders” to prevent him from visiting initially turned him away. Eventually, though, Van Hollen was able to meet with Abrego Garcia at a hotel.

Back in the U.S., Van Hollen’s visit, and the ensuing spike in attention to Abrego Garcia’s case, became a question of strategy. Republicans felt they had the political upper hand, arguing that out-of-touch Democrats cared more about an “illegal immigrant” than they do about American citizens. Some Democrats worried about this impression, too. But the midterm elections aren’t for another 19 months, and these are the fears of overthinking consultants.

There are risks for Democrats in excessively sanctifying Abrego Garcia himself. But the controversy at hand is that the administration has flown someone to a prison in another country, in violation of a court order, and says that they have no legal recourse to get him back even as the courts insist that they “facilitate” his release. There are legal ways for the administration to deport Abrego Garcia, if that is what they would like to do. They are not doing that. So it’s not the end of the world if Democrats spend a week arguing against the administration abducting and disappearing people in violation of the law, and then dismissing court rulings. Why, it might even be unpopular for the administration to be doing this.

https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2025/04/abrego-garcia-chris-van-hollen-jerome-powell-harvard.html

[tulipsandroses]

1. There are legal ways for the administration to deport Abrego Garcia, if that is what they would like to do

That is the crux of the argument. Full stop. Period. I don't know why anyone here on DU is questioning why people are speaking out on this. I have to wonder if they are really democrats.

Hint. Hint. Dictators never stop with " undesirables" - If people seem to think this has nothing to do with them and Democrats should not care about this matter.

[dutch777]

2. The courts must hold officials in criminal contempt AND lock them up. If not, rulings mean nothing.

Gavel pounding and strongly worded statements are meaningless without REAL penalties for the bad actors.

[usonian]

3. Maybe an ad about "due process" with a good old boy being yanked out of his pickup and beaten without cause

suspicion of meth?
Loose shoelaces?
Bible printed in China?
Hooch?
Canadian coins?
French bread?

[MichMan]

4. So as long as he is deported in a different way, it would be acceptable?

I seriously doubt that would be the case