The left has been up in arms since the earliest days of President Donald Trump’s second term as he pursues a bold mission to locate and deport the most dangerous migrant criminals living illegally in the United States. Many of Trump’s opponents have taken issue with one case in particular, which prompted Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) to threaten turning the situation into an international incident. When White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt was asked about the senator’s recent comments, she had a clear message for Van Hollen and other like-minded lawmakers on his side of the aisle. As the Daily Wire reported: During the White House press briefing, a reporter asked Leavitt for a response to the “priorities” of Senate Democrats on the illegal immigration issue after noting how Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) announced plans to travel to El Salvador later this week if Kilmar Abrego Garcia — an alleged MS-13 gang member who was detained last month in Maryland, deported, and sent to a prison in his home country of El Salvador — is not returned to the United States. “It’s mind-boggling, the priorities of the modern-day Democratic Party. I think it’s atrocious that to have Democrats in Congress on Capitol Hill, who swear an oath to protect their constituents and to serve them in Washington, D.C., spending more time defending illegal immigrant gang members than their own constituents and law-abiding American citizens like Rachel Morin,” Leavitt said. Morin, a 37-year-old Maryland mother of five, was found dead in August 2023 after she went out to exercise on a hiking trail. Earlier this week, Victor Antonio Martinez Hernandez — who has been identified as an illegal immigrant from El Salvador — was convicted of raping and murdering Morin. Leavitt said that she witnessed President Donald Trump “personally on the campaign trail, and I continue to see him in his role as president of the United States, put American families first, reach out to the families of victims at the hands of illegal immigrant crime.” She added, “Frankly, the actions and the words of the Democrat Party prove they could not care less about the American public. And maybe if they did, they’d see a bit higher approval ratings right now.” I’m about to board my flight to El Salvador, where I hope to meet with senior government officials to discuss the return of Kilmar Abrego Garcia. I also hope to see Kilmar and check on his condition — and remind him that we won’t stop fighting until he’s home. pic.twitter.com/dunE0lytIb — Senator Chris Van Hollen (@ChrisVanHollen) April 16, 2025 Van Hollen’s plans have sparked a significant amount of social media backlash: There is a US citizen being held by Hamas for over 500 days. What has Sen. Van Hollen done to secure his safety? pic.twitter.com/wLu7aRx9kv — Just Carmen (@Carmen50) April 15, 2025 When Rachel Morin, an actual Maryland mother was killed by an illegal gang member, the only thing Chris Van Hollen did was give a statement to a news outlet. But when an illegal from El Salvador gets deported, he’s ready to fly down there to free his “constituent.” pic.twitter.com/jmDtzEAnIr — Greg Price (@greg_price11) April 14, 2025 When an illegal immigrant from El Salvador brutally m*rdered a young mother from his state of Maryland, Democrat Senator Chris Van Hollen issued a short statement blaming Republicans and moved on. That’s it. When an illegal immigrant from El Salvador gets deported, Van Hollen is… pic.twitter.com/slrFnxBWUf — MAZE (@mazemoore) April 15, 2025 Other Democrats have attempted to turn the situation into a political weapon, per The Hill: Rep. Adriano Espaillat (D-N.Y.), the chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, has also sought to meet with Bukele while he is in Washington. Espaillat and the caucus have separately called for Abrego Garcia’s release and have also suggested a trip to El Salvador to verify his well-being. “Members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus will never stop the fight in the United States to secure his return,” he wrote. “I respectfully request that you release Mr. Abrego Garcia from his unlawful detention in CECOT and allow him the space to rejoin his family members in the U.S,” Espaillat wrote, referring to the prison in El Salvador. “Additionally, given that his family has not heard from him in nearly 30 days and his well-being remains unknown, I am formally requesting an official visit to CECOT to speak with Mr. Abrego Garcia,” he added. Here’s a clip of Leavitt’s remarks on the topic: .@PressSec on Democrats prioritizing criminal illegal alien criminals over American citizens: “It’s mind-boggling.” pic.twitter.com/MavhBwf6nd — Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) April 15, 2025