Summary

Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) traveled to El Salvador to seek the return of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Maryland resident wrongfully deported in March.

Abrego Garcia, married to a U.S. citizen with three children, was legally allowed to stay under a 2019 court order.

The Trump administration admitted his deportation was an “administrative error” but refused his return. The Supreme Court ruled against the administration 9-0.

In response, the White House launched a smear campaign against Van Hollen, framing Garcia as a gang member despite no charges or convictions.

  • Kyrgizion@lemmy.world
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    2 days ago

    IF Van Hollen manages to return safely, he’ll have to look over his shoulder for the rest of his entire life.

    But I’m not convinced he’s going to come back.

    • AbidanYre@lemmy.world
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      2 days ago

      We’re not at the stage where sitting senators are being murdered or disappeared.

      • WhatAmLemmy@lemmy.world
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        2 days ago

        At the current rate, that’ll happen within months; definitely before the end of the year.

        • Scotty_Trees@lemmy.world
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          2 days ago

          I’m gonna revisit this comment before New Years Eve. Let’s hope there’s something a bit more positive to discuss by then. But I’m not hopeful…

          • AbidanYre@lemmy.world
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            2 days ago

            Maybe heart disease will have finally come through for us and rid the world of Donald Trump.

      • Karyoplasma@discuss.tchncs.de
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        2 days ago

        I hope you’re not wrong, but political opposition was disappeared very quickly in Nazi Germany. It really didn’t take long: Hitler was appointed chancellor on January 30th, 1933 and the first “dissidents” were disappeared the day after the Reichtagsbrand, so February 28th, 1933.

      • Kyrgizion@lemmy.world
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        2 days ago

        I honestly believe VH will be the first because of his “audacity”. I 100% hope to be wrong though.

      • skisnow@lemmy.ca
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        2 days ago

        There’s been a hell of a lot of “we’re not at the stage…” in the last four months, that we then very much found ourselves at the stage of.

        • Zak@lemmy.world
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          2 days ago

          The actions of a lunatic cult leader who promptly killed the entire cult including himself afterward aren’t really comparable to the actions of governments attempting to retain the appearance of legitimacy.

          • futatorius@lemm.ee
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            2 days ago

            aren’t really comparable to the actions of governments attempting to retain the appearance of legitimacy

            I’ve seen no evidence that this government is attempting to retain the appearance of legitimacy. In fact, Trump behaves as if his orders from Putin are to undermine any and every form of institutional legitimacy, as well as crashing the economy and alienating every ally.

    • gravitas_deficiency@sh.itjust.works
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      2 days ago

      That might be it, actually. He’s probably called Bukele and told him nothing will happen if he arrests and imprisons a sitting US congressman from the “opposition” party. I’m calling that out as the plan now.

      • notabot@lemm.ee
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        2 days ago

        That, or ICE kidnap him when he tries to return because he’s ‘obviously’ in league with the gang.

      • futatorius@lemm.ee
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        2 days ago

        If Democrats had a spine, one of them would be telling Bukele that the pendulum will swing, and when it does, it will crush Bukele like the cockroach that he is.