Heard of Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia?
Neither had I until about two minutes ago. And now he's a national case in the U.S., part of a political ans legal tussle between the Trump admin and the Democrats.
I've seen several reports on CNN and MSNBC about the man. And then videos from the other side, the pro-admin side.
In simple terms; Garcia has been deported back to El Salvador, from where he'd illegally immigrated to the U.S. in 2011. At the time he was around 16. The Dems claim he's been illegally deported, because he hasn’t had due process. The Reps say no, he's had due process — two courts decreed he should be deported in 2019 — and thus has been legally deported. They admitted to there'd been some paperwork issues, since resolved, they say.
Oh.. and the Reps say he was a member of the notorious MS-13 gang. Motto: “Kill, Rape, Control”. Values to live by, surely…
A District Court found Garcia’s deportation illegal. The Trump admin appealed and the case found its way to the US Supreme Court, as United States V. Abrego Garcia, decided on 10 April 2025. More below.
Now, I was all ready to write something about this guy as being a Weird Hero. Why would the Dems make this man a hero? Is this the hill to die on? Supporting an illegal immigrant, a member of a violent criminal gang? This man?? Who now, in addition to gang membership turned out to have a restraining order for Domestic Violence against him taken out by his wife in 2021? This is the man you’re going to make your hero? Not a good look for the Dems, right?
That line is all one sees on the conservative side, from Megyn Kelly, to Larry O'Connor, to Greg Foreman, to DeVory Darkins. Two courts decided he ought be deported. They also agreed that he was an MS-13 member, even though gang membership was not a necessary precondition for him to be deported, that there had indeed been a Withholding Order, which stopped his deportation, but that that was no longer relevant since the danger in El Salvador on which it was based, had not disappeared. And in any case he was still eligible for deportation. And was now even found to be an abusive husband.
Bit still… Judge Paula Xinis of the US District Court of Maryland ruled on April 4 that Garcia's deportation had been illegal because it violated a 2019 Withholding Order, which puts deportation on indefinite hold.
yawn... yawn... getting too much into the weeds.
Thing is that I thought the case was pretty clear. Judicial overreach by a super liberal judge in a super liberal district, Prince George County. Garcia deserved to be deported and why would the Dems fight on this hill? So I thought
Then I went to Grok for some background.
Well... an hour or so later and I'm completely turned. I fought the Grok and the Grok won.
I now believe that Garcia may well be innocent, or at least not proven guilty. That the process to arrest and deport him was improper and indeed illegal. I accept that, even as it goes completely against my priors.
That's the annoying thing about Grok! It won't just agree with you. Even when I told it my priors.... Grrrrr…ok! Damn you! It always has more hard facts on hand, marshals them brilliantly, and finds stuff that I had no idea of, and which neither side in this torrid issue had mentioned.
If you can bear it, the link to my discussion with Grok is here. It’s rather long, a result of my tussle for over an hour.
PIt’s tough. Tough to agree with "the other side". We all know this. But we ought more often, try at least, to genuinely see the other side, and to give it its due.
I also think that AI like Grok can — or, at least could — help us come together. Up to my going to ask Grok about this, there were two very clear sides. The Dems calling Reps illegal and irresponsible, while the Reps push back with narratives of the Dems soft on terrorism and crime. In an ideal world both sides would do what I did and try to reach some common ground.
It does seem as though the issue was correctly judged by Judge Xinis, as confirmed by a 9-0 decision by SCOTUS. In essence SCOTUS agrees that the Withholding Order remained in effect, which prevented the deportation of Garcia, unless and until a court case removed it. That has not happened. (The Withholding Order was out in place after Garcia claimed he was in mortal danger if he was deported back to El Salvador, an argument accepted by the courts in 2019).
But it's not going to look good for the Dems to go supporting what the majority of the country see simply as clamping down on illegals and violent gang members. It’s even worse optics for Dem leaders like Maryland Senator Chris Van Hollen, hopping on a plane to El Salvador to seek Garcia’s release. Even worse when Van Holen failed to even comment on his constituents tortured and murdered by other MS-13 gang members. Not a good look. Made worse when his intervention failed.
Alas Abrego is the meat in the middle. He may end up suffering in a San Salvador jail, despite the possibility that he may well be innocent. No Democrat is going to be able to convince the Reps to seek Garcia’s release back to the U.S. and it’s hard to imagine any Rep going in to bat for him at this stage of the game. It’s all too political. Beyond even the law.
Sigh….. On this, Grok FTW. Garcia FTL.
