Exclusive: Van Hollen says Trump has "no excuses" for violating Ábrego García's rights
Kilmar Ábrego García's unlawful deportation underscores a" constitutional crisis," Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) said Wednesday at an Axios' News Shapers event.
The big picture: Van Hollen has led the charge for Kilmar Ábrego García's return to the U.S., traveling to El Salvador earlier this month to meet with Salvadoran officials and the erroneously deported man.
Driving the news: "It's clear that the Trump administration continues to violate the Constitution and Ábrego García's due process rights," Van Hollen told Axios' Stephen Neukam Wednesday.
Van Hollen said Ábrego García remains in a "total communications blackout" and is unreachable by his family.
"This is about more than one man," he said. "I'm not vouching for him — I'm vouching for his rights."
He continued, "If you take away and trample on his rights, you threaten them for everybody."
State of play: On Tuesday, Van Hollen released a strongly worded direct appeal to President Trump, slamming his administration's actions and failure to comply with court orders as "gross violations of the Constitution and due process rights."
He emphasized Wednesday, as he did in his letter, that Salvadoran Vice President Félix Ulloa told him during their meeting that "the ball was in America's court."
Van Hollen argued, "There are no excuses for the Trump administration to continue to violate his due process rights."
Catch up quick: The administration has argued that facilitating Ábrego García's return simply means assisting if El Salvador asks to send him back, Axios' Sam Baker reported.
But Van Hollen contended in his letter, "The Government of El Salvador is imprisoning him because your Administration is paying them to do so and they claim to be contractually obligated," a point he reiterated Wednesday.
In an ABC interview that aired Tuesday, Trump said he "could" get Ábrego García back. He added, "if he were the gentleman you say he is, I would do that."
The administration has repeatedly claimed Ábrego García is a member of MS-13 — though he has not been charged with any gang-related crimes.
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27 minutes ago
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Nancy Mace said 'due process is for citizens.' Here's who it's really for
In early June 2025, Republican U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace of South Carolina wrote an X post (archived) that read: "Due process is for citizens." Her comment had been viewed more than 2.4 million times as of this writing and had amassed more than 6,500 likes. The same claim has appeared in multiple X posts. In a similar tone, in May 2025, another X user wrote: "Due process is for citizens, not invaders." (X user @NancyMace) In short, due process is the legal principle that the government must follow fair procedures before depriving a person of life, liberty or property. It serves as a safeguard against arbitrary actions by the state, ensuring that people are treated justly under the law. For a more detailed explanation, see our full breakdown in this article on former President Bill Clinton's 1996 immigration law. While Mace's post did not explicitly say that due process protections are, or should be, limited to only U.S. citizens, her replies below the post reinforced that interpretation. However, the U.S. Constitution protects all "persons," not just citizens, under the due-process clauses of the Fifth and 14th amendments. The Supreme Court has repeatedly affirmed that these protections apply to anyone physically present in the United States regardless of citizenship or immigration status. An MSNBC article on the topic similarly concluded that Mace's "implication … that noncitizens don't get that protection" was "incorrect." The South Carolina representative doubled down on her stance in the replies below her post, suggesting that noncitizens should not be entitled to due-process protections in the U.S. For example, when one X user wrote, "The Constitution doesn't say 'only citizens.' Due process applies to persons — that includes non-citizens. That's settled law," Mace replied by saying: "Skip due process coming in, don't expect it going out. Citizens first!" Other replies further suggested she believed only U.S. citizens should be entitled to such protections (archived, archived, archived). (X users @FJBIDEN_22 and @NancyMace) These exchanges were not the first time Mace commented on due process. In late May 2025, she weighed in on the principle in response to a federal judge's decision to block the deportation of eight noncitizens convicted of violent crimes. The day before U.S. District Judge Brian Murphy issued a 17-page order in which he emphasized that "the Court recognizes that the class members at issue here have criminal histories. But that does not change due process," Mace criticized the ruling, telling Fox News (archived): "They didn't want due process on their way in illegally, they shouldn't get due process on their way out." However, the representative's comments about due process contradicted remarks she made about the principle in the past. In February 2023, Mace wrote on X (archived): "Everyone deserves the right to due process. Even those we vehemently oppose." (X user @NancyMace) Snopes has reached out to Mace for comment on whether she maintains that due-process protections should apply only to U.S. citizens and how she reconciles that view with her 2023 statement. We will update this article if we receive a response. The U.S. Constitution's guarantee of due process appears in the Fifth and 14th amendments, both of which state that no person should be deprived "of life, liberty or property, without due process of law." As shown, the language uses "person," not "citizen," with regard to due-process protections. Further, the Supreme Court has repeatedly interpreted that due-process protections apply to everyone within U.S. borders regardless of citizenship or immigration status. In Shaughnessy v. United States ex rel Mezei (1953) the Court emphasized (Page 212) that "aliens who have once passed through [U.S.] gates, even illegally, may be expelled only after proceedings conforming to traditional standards of fairness-encompassed in due process of law." Similarly, in cases such as Zadvydas v. Davis (2001) and earlier decisions dating back more than a century, the Supreme Court made clear that the government cannot detain or deport people arbitrarily. In the 2001 case, the Court underscored that "the Due Process Clause applies to all persons within the United States, including aliens, whether their presence is lawful, unlawful, temporary, or permanent." In simple words, noncitizens must be given fair procedures, such as notice or a "credible fear interview," before being deprived of their liberty. The Supreme Court expressed the same view in the case of Reno v. Flores (1993), stating: "It is well established that the Fifth Amendment entitles aliens to due process of law in deportation proceedings." This was not the first time Snopes addressed a claim regarding Mace. For instance, in late May 2025, we investigated a rumor that she ordered staffers to create burner accounts to promote her online. Meanwhile, earlier in June 2025, we also fact-checked a rumor about whether the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996, signed by Clinton, allowed deportation without due process. "327K Views · 15K Reactions | Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC) Responds to Arguments That Illegal Immigrants Convicted of Heinous Crimes Deserve Due Process after a Judge Blocks a Deportation Flight to South Sudan | 'They Didn't Want Due Process on Their Way in Illegally, They Shouldn't Get Due Process on Their Way Out.' Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC) Responds to Arguments... | by Fox News | Facebook." 2022, Accessed 6 June 2025. "U.S. Constitution - Fifth Amendment | Resources | Constitution Annotated | | Library of Congress." 15 Dec. 1791, Constitution Annotated. "U.S. Constitution - Fourteenth Amendment | Resources | Constitution Annotated | | Library of Congress." 9 July 1868, Deng, Grace. "Did Nancy Mace Order Staffers to Create Burner Accounts to Promote Her Online? Here's What We Know." Snopes, 30 May 2025, Accessed 6 June 2025. Dunbar, Marina. "Court Halts Trump Administration's Effort to Send Eight Men to South Sudan." The Guardian, The Guardian, 23 May 2025, Gabbatt, Adam. "Group Stranded with Ice in Djibouti Shipping Container after Removal from US." The Guardian, The Guardian, 6 June 2025, Accessed 6 June 2025. " 2025, Accessed 6 June 2025. "Reno v. Flores, 507 U.S. 292 (1993)." Justia Law, Rubin, Jordan. "Due Process Is Not Limited to Citizens, Contrary to Nancy Mace's Claim." MSNBC, 4 June 2025, Accessed 6 June 2025. Wrona, Aleksandra. "Bill Clinton Did Not Sign Law in 1996 Allowing Deportation without Due Process." Snopes, 5 June 2025, Accessed 6 June 2025. "Zadvydas v. Davis, 533 U.S. 678 (2001)." Justia Law,
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an hour ago
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DNC votes to redo vice chair elections of Hogg, Kenyatta
Members of the Democratic National Committee (DNC) have voted to redo its vice chair election, teeing up two separate votes for the positions held by David Hogg and Pennsylvania state Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta. The vote to redo the elections was 294-99. Oklahoma DNC member Kalyn Free, who ran for a vice chair position and lost, filed a challenge in late February over the way the vice chair election was conducted, alleging in her letter that it unfairly gave the male candidates an advantage over the female vice chair candidates. The DNC Credentials Committee determined last month it would move forward with the challenge and put the matter to a vote for the entire committee to see whether a majority of members believed the vice chair election should be conducted again. Now, the DNC will hold two separate virtual votes, one running between June 12 and June 14 for a male vice chair ballot and another running June 15 to June 17 for a vice chair ballot in which any gender candidate can run. Free's complaint over the February vice chair election is separate from a firestorm Hogg has ignited within the party over whether he should be involved in primarying members of the party while serving as a DNC officer. Those tensions came to a head earlier this week when leaked audio of a Zoom call with DNC officers showed Chair Ken Martin expressing frustration with Hogg, telling the gun control activist in part: 'I don't think you intended this, but you essentially destroyed any chance I have to show the leadership that I need to, so it's really frustrating.' While Hogg has sought to distance himself from the leaked audio, the ordeal has contributed to bubbling tensions between Hogg and DNC leadership. The controversy also prompted some members to rethink the way they were going to vote over the DNC vice chair election redo. Even if Hogg survives the challenge and is reelected as vice chair, his position within the DNC is far from certain if he continues to stay involved in primaries against incumbents as an DNC officer. Kenyatta quickly offered a statement saying he looked forward to making his case. 'I respect the vote of the DNC, and now we can almost bring this chapter to a close,' he said in a statement. 'I look forward to making my case to DNC members and our party as a whole on how we make life better and refocusing on Trump's attacks on our Constitution and working families.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Will US protests escalate amid more deployed ICE agents?
(NewsNation) — Leaders in some Democratic-led cities are bracing for an increased presence of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents as demonstrations protesting the Trump administration's immigration enforcement policies and ICE tactics continue across the country, with more planned for this weekend. Published reports on Wednesday stated that specialized ICE tactical teams would be sent to Chicago, Philadelphia, Seattle, New York and Northern Virginia after anti-ICE protests in Los Angeles reached a 'tipping point' with hundreds being arrested. More than two dozen protests nationwide this week have led to arrests as demonstrators rally against migrants being taken into federal custody. Federal officials insist ICE enforcement efforts will continue across the country despite the rallies, as advocates for migrant rights push back against what they say are deceptive practices being used by ICE. Inside largest ICE workplace operation in Omaha: NewsNation exclusive 'We will not be deterred,' Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin told NewsNation this week. More protests, including hundreds of No Kings events, are slated for Saturday amid reports that ICE is ramping up enforcement efforts, including during workplace raids in cities with sanctuary policies in place. That has raised concerns among some city leaders that clashes between federal agents and protesters, like those in Los Angeles, could spread. California Gov. Gavin Newsom predicted Tuesday that other left-leaning areas of the country could be targeted by the Trump administration by using similar tactics. 'What we have seen in Los Angeles is really not about immigration, this is not about policy, this is about power,' Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson said Wednesday. 'We have a tyrant in the White House that has a complete disregard for our Constitution and the dismissing of our democracy.' ICE is prepared to deploy Special Response Teams to several Democratic-run cities to continue to carry out immigration enforcement practices, according to NBC News. No timeline for the troops being sent to those cities has been laid out. ICE did not respond to a request for comment from NewsNation on Wednesday. However, Chicago city officials confirmed on Wednesday that they had been alerted on Tuesday that agents had been given notice that they would be sent out within the next 48 hours. Johnson said his main priority is keeping everyone safe and that the city's practice of 'constitutional policing' would continue. Johnson said that because Trump is 'determined to insert chaos', the city's response would be to 'provide calm and structure'. 'We have an absolutely criminalized approach towards governance, and this president clearly continues to show how low he will stoop in order to protect the interests of a handful of people,' Johnson said. Johnson said at a news conference that he has been in contact with Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker and other leaders about a unified stance but said that the city and state are committed to protecting the right of people to assemble and to help preserve their constitutional rights. 2 charged for alleged Molotov cocktail possession at LA protests Johnson said that the city's strategic approach will remain in place Saturday when No Kings protests are scheduled both in Chicago's downtown district as well as in several suburbs. He said that demonstrators who act 'outside of their constitutional protections' would be held responsible and accountable. Johnson's comments followed demonstrations that took place in Chicago, where 17 people were taken into custody, including four who were charged with felonies, NewsNation affiliate WGN reported. No Kings organizers did not respond to an email from NewsNation seeking comment about plans to keep demonstrations safe amid concerns of increased ICE presence in cities like Chicago. Johnson said that the Chicago Police will continue to protect local residents and protesters alike while also adhering to the Illinois Trust Act, which prevents local officers from cooperating with federal immigration officials. But other city leaders hope that despite the tensions felt in places like Los Angeles, demonstrations can remain peaceful while getting their message across. 'The level of rage, the level of righteous anger that (protesters) might feel out there is genuine,' Chicago Ald. Andre Vasquez told NewsNation. 'So, trying to make sure that people don't feel further oppressed while also recognizing that there's clearly a strategy of having crowds look like they're chaotic is how the (Trump) administration is moving, it's very challenging to try to communicate that.' In New York City, where 86 people were arrested by city police officers on Tuesday during anti-ICE protests that involved about 2,500 participants, Mayor Eric Adams said that the escalation of protests in Los Angeles is 'unacceptable' and would not be tolerated if attempted in New York. 'I understand that some New Yorkers may be angry, afraid, and I understand, NYC will always be a place to peacefully protest, but we will not allow lawlessness,' Adams said, according to NewsNation affiliate Pix11. Earlier this week, 24 people were arrested during a sit-in at Trump Tower in New York, while seven people were taken into custody at another demonstration, three of whom were criminally charged. Yet with more protests planned in the coming days, city officials do not expect things to rise to the level they have in Los Angeles, an Adams spokeswoman told NewsNation on Wednesday. The spokeswoman said the city has not received any notification that additional ICE agents would be arriving in New York in the coming days. She added that the city does not anticipate involving the National Guard or the U.S. military being sent to New York, both of which have been called into action in Los Angeles by the Trump administration. The mayor's spokeswoman said that the city has made it clear to the federal government that no federal assistance is required to help maintain law and order and that city officials do not expect protests to escalate out of control. 'There's no invasion': California AG on Los Angeles protests 'What we're seeing in (Los Angeles) and what the feds are doing over there, we're not seeing that here. The NYPD has it under control,' she told NewsNation. 'The NYPD is literally prepared for anything.' Despite hearing rumors and media reports about ICE tactical teams being sent to Seattle, city officials told NewsNation on Wednesday that they have not yet received official word about increased federal agents arriving. In a statement sent to NewsNation on Wednesday, Mayor Bruce Harrell said that the city remains in close contact with the governor's and state attorney general's offices, as well as other local officials, to coordinate a response should ICE tactical teams arrive in Seattle in the coming days. Harrell called the Trump administration's actions in Los Angeles 'an extreme and egregious overreach of federal authority meant to escalate tensions' and to distract from the promises Trump hasn't lived up to. The mayor said he is working with Seattle's police department to prepare for any demonstrations that may arise. 'Seattle strongly supports the First Amendment rights of our residents, and we encourage residents to stand up for their values peacefully,' Harrell said. 'There is no room for violence. Violence and property damage are exactly what Trump wants to spin his false narrative of our city.' After anti-ICE protests took place in Austin and San Antonio and with more demonstrations planned, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott announced plans on social media to dispatch the Texas National Guard to those cities. Abbott wrote on X on Tuesday that the troops will use 'every tool and strategy' to help law enforcement maintain order. Abbott wrote that while peaceful protest is legal, harming others and damaging or destroying property will lead to arrests. Abbott's declaration followed a demonstration earlier this week at the state capitol building in Austin, which was attended by 500 people and in which local and state authorities used pepper spray and flashbang grenades. More than a dozen people were arrested, according to reports. This weekend's planned protests include No Kings demonstrations that are part of the nationwide collection of protests that decry the Trump administration's policies. The deployment of the National Guard, which will remain on standby, is an attempt to prevent civil unrest from taking place, an Abbott spokesman told NewsNation on Wednesday. 'Peaceful protests are part of the fabric of our nation, but Texas will not tolerate the lawlessness we have seen in Los Angeles,' the spokesman, Andrew Mahaleris, said Wednesday. 'Anyone engaging in acts of violence or damaging property will be swiftly held accountable to the full extent of the law.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
