Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem directly challenged Rep. Dan Goldman (D-NY) during a House Homeland Security Committee hearing this week over his advocacy for Kilmar Abrego Garcia, an illegal alien currently imprisoned in El Salvador and accused of ties to the violent MS-13 gang.
When Goldman questioned Noem about DHS’s handling of Abrego Garcia’s deportation, Noem firmly defended the department’s actions.
“It’s got to be extremely discouraging to be one of your constituents,” Noem said.
“To see you fight for a terrorist like this and not fight for them is extremely alarming to me and I’m sure it is to your constituents.”
Watch:
Abrego Garcia was deported to El Salvador after evidence linked him to MS-13. He is also under investigation in connection with a human trafficking operation in Tennessee that was active in 2022.
A convicted felon operating a human smuggling ring informed FBI agents that Abrego Garcia was recruited to assist in transporting individuals illegally across the southern border and into the U.S., according to the investigation.
Abrego Garcia’s role was allegedly to help evade law enforcement during the operation.
DHS flagged Abrego Garcia as a national security concern.
He had also been accused of domestic abuse by his wife, though the outcomes of those accusations were not discussed during the hearing.
DHS confirmed that if Garcia attempts to re-enter the United States, he will be swiftly deported again.
The hearing was part of a broader investigation by the House Homeland Security Committee, chaired by Rep. Mark Green (R-TN), who opened a probe into Abrego Garcia’s ties to the Tennessee human trafficking network.
Rep. Goldman continued to press Noem during the hearing, but the DHS secretary maintained that Abrego Garcia should not be allowed back into the country.
Noem’s testimony underscored the procedures DHS has in place to deport individuals facing serious criminal allegations.
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