James Carville, the longtime Democratic strategist, has sparked controversy with his recent call for the party to make one of its top priorities the return of an alleged MS-13 member to the United States. Carville is pushing Democrats to focus on reintegrating dangerous criminals, rather than addressing the real concerns of American citizens. His comments come as the left continues to prioritize issues that many believe undermine national security and the rule of law, further alienating the hardworking Americans who want their government to put their safety first.
During a rant on his “Politics War Room” podcast, Carville urged Democrats that it should be a “top agenda” for them to bring Kilmar Abrego Garcia, an illegal immigrant and alleged MS-13 gang member deported to his home nation of El Salvador, back to the United States.
In 2019, a U.S. court granted Abrego Garcia temporary protected status, determining he faced a "clear probability of future persecution" if sent back to El Salvador due to the country's authorities being unable or unwilling to protect him. Despite this, the Trump administration deported Abrego Garcia to a maximum-security prison in El Salvador in March. Since then, both a federal court and the Supreme Court have ruled that the Trump administration must "facilitate" his return to the U.S. for the proper deportation process.
“People say, ‘Well, should we really fight on this turf or should we fight more on ordinary people?’ And this we should fight on — you can’t pivot to an economic issue,” Carville said. “Wait a minute, this is why we think we’re a country. And if they do this to him, it’s an old saying: ‘First they came for the you know, whatever, and then whatever, and then they came for me.’”
Carville stressed the so-called importance of standing up against injustice, referencing history to suggest action is needed when individuals—AKA illegal immigrants—are targeted. He framed the issue as urgent, urging Democrats to prioritize it in their agenda. Drawing a comparison to the famous "First They Came for the Jews..." In a Holocaust poem, Carville warned that Democrats must take a firm stance on this issue without delay.
“You know why you remember that saying? Because there’s wisdom in it. There’s real wisdom in it. And history has taught us that,” Carville added. “And first they came for him, and then we’re going to say no right there. And we gotta keep fighting this. I think this is worthy of being at the top agenda of things that we’re going to fight over is get this guy back home.”