FOUSESQUAWK: Senator Chris van Hollen's Excellent Adventure in El Salvador

Thursday, April 17, 2025

Senator Chris van Hollen's Excellent Adventure in El Salvador

18 comments:

Anonymous said...: So, you don't have an issue with sending someone to a foreign concentration camp without due process? And against a 9-0 Supreme Court ruling?

Why not just say you're a fascist?; April 18, 2025 at 12:34 PM
Gary Fouse said...: I don't know if you are up to date on this particular deportee.

https://www.foxnews.com/us/kilmar-abrego-garcia-suspected-human-trafficking-report-obtained-fox-news

His history regarding his right to stay here is murky, and most of the media is on his side (unlike Fox). As I understand it, it was ordered that he could not be deported specifically to El Salvador because of alleged threats against him. Therein is the administrative error.

Ultimately, this whole issue will go to the Supreme Court. It is in the judicial process. Even then, Bukele may refuse to send him back since he is a Salvadoran national (who was not in the country legally to begin with.)
.

The facility in El Salvador is a prison, not a concentration camp. It may not be up to our standards, and Salvadoran law regarding its gang members and criminals may not align with ours. It holds violent criminals, not political opponents.

I may be a fascist in your eyes, but unlike you, I am one of the vast majority of Americans who is sick and tired of illegal gang members like MS 13 being allowed into this country illegally and who are committing heinous crimes against us. You should reserve your anger for Biden and Mayorkas.

Van Hollen should reserve his compassion for the victims of MS 13, including a young woman who was from Maryland

Why don't you just admit that you don't care about the victims of these gangs?; April 18, 2025 at 1:17 PM
Anonymous said...: "His history regardinghis right to stay here is murky..."

What does that even mean? The Constitution guarantees due process (and not just for citizens). Is that the standard now?

"Ultimately, this whole issue will go to the Supreme Court."

The Supreme Court ALREADY decided. Nine to zero! Not even close. And Trump is defying them, as one would expect a dictator to do.

" It may not be up to our standards, and Salvadoran law regarding its gang members and criminals may not align with ours. It holds violent criminals, not political opponents."

You know that the use of euphemism is a common tactic of totalitarian regimes, right?

The average German citizen assumed that the concentration camps were for "criminals" as well. That you conflate this with the issue of crimes committed by illegals is really disgusting. It helps absolutely nobody here if we ship off innocent people. And ultimately it hurts us all if we completely destroy our system of due process in the name of preventing these crimes. Because Trump is now openly talking about sending US citizens away too.

If you ever wondered what you would do in Nazi Germany, wonder no longer.; April 18, 2025 at 4:44 PM
Gary Fouse said...: It seems to me that an illegal alien belonging to MS13 which is now classified as a terror organization can be removed. The SC told the govt to facilitate his return-whatever that means- but if El Salvador refuses to return its own citizen to the US-what can the courts do?

Nazi Germany? Really? Nice try.; April 18, 2025 at 7:35 PM
Anonymous said...: He's not an illegal alien, and there is no evidence that he is a member of MS13.

And regarding Nazi Germany, if the shoe fits...; April 18, 2025 at 8:05 PM
Gary Fouse said...: Nazis were not exactly known for fighting against anti-Semitism. You obviously only read posts that interest you about Trump.

In addition, you are getting your news from liberal sites who don't want these criminal gangbangers deported. Two immigration judges found sufficient evidence that he belonged to MS 13. The man allegedly is a human trafficker and wife beater. Read his own wife's complaint she filed against him.

I don't even know what shoe would fit you.

Say, you're not a member of MS 13, are you?; April 19, 2025 at 5:18 PM
Anonymous said...: This is really rich. First of all, it's BS to say that he's a wife beater and human trafficker. I looked up both of these and no charges were filed in either case. The "human trafficking" was suspected by one cop because he was giving a bunch of people a ride to a construction job. His wife stated that things did not "escalate" and that they had gone into counseling.

But all of this is besides the point. He's allowed due process. That's the Constitution. You're either for the Constitution or against it. Clearly when it comes to certain people, you don't seem to care. This guy has children, one of them is autistic. And now they don't have their dad.

There is far more evidence that Donald Trump is a wife-beater and a rapist than any sort of criminal activity for this guy. He deserved due process too.

And congratulations on not being anti-Semitic. Is that the only thing you know about Nazi Germany?; April 19, 2025 at 5:51 PM
Gary Fouse said...: I happen to be very well read on Nazi Germany. I spent 3 years right outside Nuremberg. I've been to Dachau, Buchenwald, Sachsenhausen and
Auschwitz. When you start using Trump in the same breath as the Nazis, you are showing your ignorance.

And please spare me the sob story about him being a father, blah blah blah. By all indications, this guy is a bad hombre.

You complain about due process. Isn't this issue still being played out in the courts? But guess what: This Salvadoran is in his home country, and Bukele doesn't take orders from an American court-not even the Supreme Court.; April 19, 2025 at 10:22 PM
Gary Fouse said...: https://ijr.com/doj-releases-full-dossier-of-evidence-that-abrego-garcia-was-ms-13/; April 19, 2025 at 10:25 PM
Anonymous said...: No matter how much you spin this, a man who has not been convicted of any crime is now in prison based on the policy of the President. And despite the fact that there is supposed to be a system of checks and balances in this country, he is refusing to follow the decision of the Supreme Court (again, in a 9-0 ruling).

You hemmed and hawed about Trump being unfairly railroaded despite a long list of judges and juries ruling against him (long before he even became President) but your high standards suddenly evaporate when it comes to this man.

Maybe you should ask yourself why that is. Because it's clear that you don't have a consistent standard that you follow in all cases.; April 20, 2025 at 9:26 AM
Gary Fouse said...: You don't have to be convicted of a crime to be deported if you are an illegal alien. Here is what DHS has to say about the human smuggling allegation.

https://www.ice.gov/doclib/news/releases/2025/25_0418_hsi_referral-abrego-garcia.pdf

If I have an inconsistent standard when it comes to Abrego and Trump, the same would apply to you. You are indignant when it comes to Abrego, but are just fine with the actions of Fani Willis, Letitia James, and Jack Smith. And I did not hem and haw about that.

Trump has shown a photo of what is reportedly Abrego's hand in which "MS 13" appears across his knuckles. In addition, Michael Strahan interviewed his wife this week and asked her about the time she filed a restraining order against him. She would not address it. My guess is-just a guess- is that she is afraid and has been told to help him get back to the US.

Sen John Kennedy (R-La) was interviewed by NBC and asked if Abrego has been denied due process. He answered that Abrego has had 17 court hearings before several judges over the years, but in his opinion, he should have had a hearing before being flown to El Salvador and that the removal was a screw up. I respect his opinion on that. He also added that Bukele doesn't have to take orders from any US court. That includes the US Supreme Court and their order to the US govt to "facilitate" his return.

So what do you want Trump to do if Bukele says no-send in the Marines to free him forcibly?

Or do you just want to make more attacks against me, Mr Anonymous, Lance, or whoever you are?; April 20, 2025 at 8:08 PM
Anonymous said...: The smuggling allegation is just that. Maybe it's true; maybe it isn't.

"You are indignant when it comes to Abrego, but are just fine with the actions of Fani Willis, Letitia James, and Jack Smith."

I don't need to get into their actions one way or the other for my point to stand. Trump was found, by a jury, to have raped a woman. Trump was convicted of a felony. And even before all of this, he has a long history of going to court for fraud allegations (Trump University) which he eventually wound up paying.

The bottom line is that there is far more evidence that the President is a criminal, but being a rich celebrity has its privileges, I guess.

"Trump has shown a photo of what is reportedly Abrego's hand..."

If you believe that it's beyond Trump to share a fake photo, then you might be interested in all the bridges that I'm currently selling. This is the same guy who claimed, for years, that he had evidence that Obama wasn't a U.S. citizen. He's the guy who used a sharpie on a map to make it look like a hurricane was going places that it wasn't.

"My guess is-just a guess- is that she is afraid..."

That's absolutely a possibility. It's also just as likely that she was telling the truth when she said, regarding the temporary protection order:

“After surviving domestic violence in a previous relationship, I acted out of caution after a disagreement with Kilmar. Things did not escalate, and I decided not to follow through with the civil court process.”

She also stated:

"Kilmar has always been a loving partner and father, and I will continue to stand by him."

https://apnews.com/article/who-is-abrego-garcia-e1b2af6528f915a1f0ec60f9a1c73cdd

"So what do you want Trump to do if Bukele says no-send in the Marines to free him forcibly?"

Do you really think that the President of the United States of America has no other recourse when it comes to getting ONE person out of a Salvadoran prison?

From what I understand of this prison, no human being should be there, criminal or not.

I do find it interesting that you continue to gloss over the Supreme Court's decision here. I have to imagine that it would bother you a great deal if Biden flouted one of their decisions (and it would bother me too because I know that's not how it's supposed to work, no matter who I agree with).; April 21, 2025 at 12:40 PM
Gary Fouse said...: Just curious: Are you convinced beyond a reasonable doubt that Trump raped E. Jean Carroll in the 1990s?; April 21, 2025 at 2:41 PM
Anonymous said...: Beyond a reasonable doubt? Am I on a jury all of a sudden?

But I'll take the question in the spirit that I assume you meant it.

I think that the case is pretty convincing. A jury certainly found it to be convincing. It's also consistent with what Trump had said he does to women, which is dismissed as "locker room talk" (which is horrible - I'm a man and I sure as hell don't talk like that, and none of my friends do either).

Trump also has a long history of misogynistic statements and accusations of sexual assault. His ex-wife even said in a sworn deposition that he tore her hair out and raped her (she later denied it). Trump also bragged openly on the Howard Stern show that he liked to walk into the changing rooms of the Miss Teen USA pageant to see the girls naked.

So, I put my certainty at about the same level as I do that OJ Simpson murdered his ex wife and her boyfriend. I'd be willing to bet good money on it.

The only argument that I can somewhat entertain is when people want to quibble on the definition of the word "rape". What he did was definitely nonconsensual, forced penetration, even if he didn't use his own sex organ to do it.

Now, can you tell me what your reaction would be if Biden or any democrat defied a Supreme Court ruling? Especially a 9-0 one? I already told you mine.; April 22, 2025 at 9:58 AM
Gary Fouse said...: The reason I asked the question is because Trump was found liable by a civil jury. As I'm sure you know, a civil jury only needs to find by a preponderance of evidence (51%+) probability vs a criminal conviction, which must be beyond a reasonable doubt. If Trump were charged with rape in a criminal trial, the other statements he has made you quoted and other accusations (by his ex-wife) may or may not be admitted into evidence depending on various factors.; April 22, 2025 at 8:53 PM
Anonymous said...: I understand that, hence the OJ Simpson reference.

Are you going to answer my question about going against the Supreme Court decision?; April 23, 2025 at 7:10 AM
Gary Fouse said...: As I understand the decision, the SC said the govt must "facilitate" the return of Abrego. Why didn't they say they must return Abrego period? I'm not sure, but it seems to me the only thing Trump can do now is ask El Salvador to return him. The US could send a plane to pick him up. Other than that, what can they do if Bukele says, no, he is a Salvadoran citizen not a US citizen. If he were a US citizen, we could demand his return and take actions against ES if they refuse, but he is not a US citizen.

Keep in mind, he was ruled deportable, but not to ES due to fears he had from some other gang. That gang, which I assume was Barrio 18, is now all in jail. As I understand it, Abrego is now in some other facility.

So it comes down to this: What exactly should the US do to follow the SC order and "facilitate" his return?; April 23, 2025 at 10:14 AM
Gary Fouse said...: As to your question about a hypothetical 9-0 decision against Biden or defied a SC ruling, short answer is I would criticize it. Long answer depends on the ruling and the circumstances surrounding it, which are endless.; April 23, 2025 at 10:33 AM

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