Top Democrat consultants sounded the alarm over party lawmakers defending an illegal alien accused of MS-13 gang ties, warning the move could spark voter backlash and damage Democrats' electoral chances, Breitbart reported.
Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a 29-year-old illegal alien from El Salvador who was deported last month after being accused of violent criminal activity, was arrested in 2019 by the Prince George's County Police Department and accused of being affiliated with a transnational criminal organization.
Federal immigration judges affirmed the accusation, citing a reliable criminal informant who confirmed his rank within MS-13.
Before his arrest, Abrego Garcia's wife had accused him of domestic violence. In December 2022, he was in a vehicle tied to a human trafficking operation in Tennessee.
Despite these serious allegations, some Democratic lawmakers have traveled to El Salvador to advocate for his release and return to the United States.
Behind the scenes, however, Democrat consultants are warning that the optics could be politically disastrous.
"People can't afford eggs, and … you're flying to sit with someone who's accused of being in a gang," one Democrat consultant told The Hill. "Democrats want to think that everyone has the same morals and values that we do. ... That doesn't necessarily win elections, though, and last cycle was proof positive of that."
The consultant continued: "We need to step back and wait for someone to be deported who has a really compelling story that's devastating and that average Joe's upset about. That person hasn't presented themselves yet, and Democrats are battling their better instincts and not just hop at the first sign of injustice."
Frustration has also mounted over Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., who has reportedly refused to meet with the family of Rachel Morin, a 37-year-old Maryland woman who was raped and murdered in 2023 by an illegal alien MS-13 member. Morin's death is considered one of the most horrific crimes in Harford County's history.
"The hit on [Sen. Chris Van Hollen] that he'll fly to El Salvador on taxpayer dollars and meet with a guy who's accused of being in a gang, but he won't meet with the family of gang victims in his home state is a very fair hit," the consultant told The Hill.
The consultant added, "If you look at the senators who actually have to deal with immigration as an issue in their state in order to win... a liberal senator from Maryland kind of tells you everything you need to know about how palpable it is to the middle."
Sources told CNN that Democrats risk giving "the White House and the Republicans a lot of images and visuals that they think are compelling for them," referencing the El Salvador trips.
Mo Elleithee, a Democratic consultant and former adviser to Hillary Clinton, advised on CNN's "The Arena with Kasie Hunt" Friday against making Abrego Garcia a martyr if the accusations are confirmed.
Jim Thomas ✉
Jim Thomas is a writer based in Indiana. He holds a bachelor's degree in Political Science, a law degree from U.I.C. Law School, and has practiced law for more than 20 years.
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.