Hillary Clinton issued a stark warning to Americans this week regarding the Trump administration’s deportation policies, specifically citing the case of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, who was wrongfully deported to El Salvador despite legal protections.
Clinton took to social media Wednesday, April 16, to express her concerns as the administration continued to justify the deportation.
“Before the election, I warned that there is no safe haven under authoritarianism,” Clinton wrote in an X post. “If they can ship Kilmar Abrego Garcia to a foreign prison—accused of no crime, with no trial—they can do it to anyone. Americans of conscience must stand against this now.”
Abrego Garcia, a Salvadoran national who had been living in Maryland with his family, was sent back to El Salvador despite an immigration judge’s explicit ruling preventing his deportation due to potential persecution from local gangs. The Department of Homeland Security has admitted that his deportation was the result of an “administrative error,” yet the administration continues to defy a Supreme Court order to facilitate his return.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt defended the wrongful deportation by connecting it to an unrelated case involving an immigrant. “He will never live in the United States again,” Leavitt declared regarding Abrego Garcia.
Maryland Senator Chris Van Hollen has taken direct action in the case, traveling to El Salvador to advocate for Abrego Garcia’s release. However, Van Hollen was at first denied access to Abrego Garcia by Salvadoran authorities; however, he was later granted a sit-down meeting with the prisoner. The senator revealed that Salvadoran officials told him the U.S. government is paying them to keep Abrego Garcia imprisoned.
The Trump administration has claimed Abrego Garcia is a member of the MS-13 gang, but according to court documents recently released, this allegation is based solely on a document from a Prince George’s County, Maryland police officer who was later fired for misconduct. The immigration judge who evaluated Abrego Garcia’s case ruled that he had legal status to remain in the United States.
The administration has also cited a temporary protective order filed against Abrego Garcia by his wife in 2021. His wife, Jennifer Vasquez Sura, has since clarified that this was due to a disagreement and not domestic violence, and the order was later dismissed.
Clinton’s warnings about the dangers of authoritarian tendencies predate this incident. In April 2024, she cautioned that the threats coming from Donald Trump should concern everyone since “with an authoritarian, you never know what side of the bed they’ll wake up on.”
Legal experts view the Abrego Garcia case as part of a broader pattern of the Trump administration’s approach to the rule of law. A federal judge recently rebuked the government’s efforts to return the wrongfully deported man, highlighting the administration’s resistance to court orders.
This case emerges against a backdrop of what some observers describe as increasing authoritarian tendencies in the administration’s approach to various institutions. The administration has launched investigations into non-governmental organizations, universities, and other institutions perceived as opposing its agenda.
Law firms representing clients critical of the president have reportedly faced executive orders penalizing them, while judges who have ruled against administration policies have been subjected to public criticism, with some Trump allies in Congress calling for their impeachment.
Democrats have requested a Congressional delegation to visit the Salvadoran prison where Abrego Garcia is being held to check on his welfare. This request comes amid growing concerns about President Trump’s remarks regarding sending “homegrown criminals” to the facility.
The president has developed a close relationship with Nayib Bukele, the leader of El Salvador, despite concerns from human rights organizations about democratic backsliding in the Central American nation.
Some Democratic strategists have expressed concern that focusing on the Abrego Garcia case might be politically risky, given immigration’s status as a strong issue for President Trump. However, others argue that this case represents a significant overreach that could backfire politically for the administration.
Political analysts have characterized Trump’s governing style as “authoritarian populism,” combining features of authoritarianism with populist rhetoric that divides the population into “the people” and “the elites.” This approach often uses fear-mongering and scapegoating to justify measures that consolidate power and suppress opposition.
The Supreme Court has ordered the Trump administration to return Abrego Garcia to the United States, but compliance with this order remains uncertain as the administration has thus far refused to take steps to facilitate his return.
