NewsNation host Chris Cuomo clashed with Democratic strategist James Carville on Wednesday over the Democratic Party’s efforts to bring deported alleged MS-13 member Kilmar Abrego Garcia back into the United States. The heated exchange aired on CUOMO, with Cuomo warning that the optics of a MS-13 deportation fight will damage Democrats politically. Carville, however, refused to back down.
Earlier that day, the Department of Justice released documents linking Garcia to the notorious MS-13 gang. Cuomo highlighted the risks of championing Garcia’s return, telling Carville that it makes Democrats appear to support bringing a known “gang banger” back into the country—something likely to backfire with voters. “You’re going to lose politically to the effort to get bad guys out of the country,” Cuomo warned.
Carville dismissed the concerns, doubling down on due process arguments and calling Garcia an “innocent person,” despite court filings showing his wife had previously filed a domestic violence restraining order. “Every court has said bring him back,” Carville argued, framing the case as a constitutional issue and accusing the Trump administration of ignoring judicial orders.
Garcia entered the U.S. illegally in 2011 and was arrested by ICE on March 12. Despite allegations tying him to MS-13 and a history of domestic violence, Carville insisted Democrats should make his return a top priority, stating on his podcast that “you got to do everything you can to get this guy back home.”
Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) even traveled to El Salvador to push for Garcia’s return, though the Salvadoran government denied him access to meet Garcia, currently held in a mega-prison. Van Hollen met only with El Salvador’s vice president, not President Nayib Bukele as requested.
The broader public appears unsympathetic. A Fox News poll from March found that 63% of Americans support deporting illegal immigrants to their home countries. Cuomo acknowledged the complexity of due process but maintained Garcia was a “tough poster boy” for the Democratic cause.
The situation spotlights a growing divide within the Democratic Party—between those prioritizing immigration enforcement and those championing controversial deportation cases, even when gang ties and abuse allegations are present.