Rep. Scott Fitzgerald (R-WI) mocked his Democratic colleagues for celebrating the return of Salvadoran immigrant Kilmar Abrego Garcia to the U.S., as it will likely lead to a more severe incarceration.
Abrego Garcia is facing two federal criminal counts for allegedly transporting illegal migrants within the U.S. The Department of Justice opted to bring Abrego Garcia back to the United States after deporting him to his home country of El Salvador. Still, some members like Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) celebrated the return of Abrego Garcia which Fitzgerald responded to on Fox Business’s Mornings with Maria Bartiromo Monday.
“They’re trying to take a victory lap on something that’s just leaving half of the information out there on the street — which is that the courts actually had said he needs to come back because he has got be run through the legal system again. Which, by the way, is going to result in him being incarcerated for a longer period of time,” Fitzgerald explained. “Actually I hope that after he’s done serving that time we immediately deport him again . . .”
While in El Salvador, Abrego Garcia served some time in the country’s terrorism confinement center, Centro de Confinamiento del Terrorismo, referred to as the CECOT. However he was eventually moved to an undisclosed location after several Democratic members of Congress attempted to meet him there.
Van Hollen defended his stance on demanding Abrego Garcia’s return, clarifying in a statement that “[t]his has never been about the man—it’s about his constitutional rights & the rights of all.”
Democratic lawmakers have disputed Abrego Garcia’s gang affiliation. The Salvadorian was arrested in 2019 along with two other confirmed members of MS-13, and photographed with tattoos on his hand that are associated with the gang.
DEMOCRATS’ ABREGO GARCIA BLUNDER COULD HAUNT THE PARTY FOR YEARS
According to court records, police in Tennessee stopped Abrego Garcia in 2022 during a traffic incident, where authorities suspected human smuggling. Attorney General Pam Bondi claimed there is more evidence that Abrego Garcia “played a significant role in an alien smuggling ring.” This is Abrego Garcia’s first criminal charge in the U.S.
ICE officials confirmed that the immigrants deported along with Abrego Garcia fell under Code Title 8, which allows federal authorities to quickly remove certain migrants who cross into the country illegally. They were also deported under the Alien Enemies Act, a 1798 law, which allows the president to remove migrants immediately if they come from invading countries in times of war.
