Simon Vance

But it is hard to take seriously the extraordinarily emotive condemnations of people who don't care about the problem that I'm trying to solve and that the president is trying to solve.

But it is hard to take seriously the extraordinarily emotive condemnations of people who don't care about the problem that I'm trying to solve and that the president is trying to solve.

So when I see people who for legitimately four years told me that I was a xenophobe for thinking that what Joe Biden was doing at the border was a serious problem, I am less willing – there's a witness element to this, and I'm less willing to believe the witness of people who are now saying that this MS-13 gang member – and we'll talk about that case in a second – this guy –

So when I see people who for legitimately four years told me that I was a xenophobe for thinking that what Joe Biden was doing at the border was a serious problem, I am less willing – there's a witness element to this, and I'm less willing to believe the witness of people who are now saying that this MS-13 gang member – and we'll talk about that case in a second – this guy –

This guy is somehow a very sympathetic person and you violated his civil rights, et cetera, et cetera. OK, so that's number one. Number two, I still have an obligation to think about these cases. And I'll tell you, you know, a lot of times I'll read about these cases and I'll reach out to the people who are enforcing immigration law and I'll try to find out what exactly is going on.

This guy is somehow a very sympathetic person and you violated his civil rights, et cetera, et cetera. OK, so that's number one. Number two, I still have an obligation to think about these cases. And I'll tell you, you know, a lot of times I'll read about these cases and I'll reach out to the people who are enforcing immigration law and I'll try to find out what exactly is going on.

I haven't asked every question about every case, but the ones where I have asked questions and I try to get to the bottom of what's going on, I feel quite comfortable what's happened. And the one that I've spent the most time understanding is the one of the Maryland father

I haven't asked every question about every case, but the ones where I have asked questions and I try to get to the bottom of what's going on, I feel quite comfortable what's happened. And the one that I've spent the most time understanding is the one of the Maryland father

I think this guy was not just a gang member, but a reasonably high-level gang member in MS-13. I think he had engaged in some pretty ugly conduct and Legally, he had had multiple hearings before an immigration judge. He had a valid deportation order. What he also had was a sort of exception, what's called a withholding order that basically said, yes, you can deport this guy.

I think this guy was not just a gang member, but a reasonably high-level gang member in MS-13. I think he had engaged in some pretty ugly conduct and Legally, he had had multiple hearings before an immigration judge. He had a valid deportation order. What he also had was a sort of exception, what's called a withholding order that basically said, yes, you can deport this guy.

No one doubts that we could have deported this guy. But you can't deport this guy to El Salvador because of particular conditions that obtained in I believe 2019 when his case was adjudicated. So you fast forward to 2025, we deport this guy, the courts hold that we've made a mistake, and then eventually it gets to the Supreme Court.

No one doubts that we could have deported this guy. But you can't deport this guy to El Salvador because of particular conditions that obtained in I believe 2019 when his case was adjudicated. So you fast forward to 2025, we deport this guy, the courts hold that we've made a mistake, and then eventually it gets to the Supreme Court.

And I believe, and we're getting in the weeds a little bit of the legal technicalities, but I believe the court term is you must facilitate his return. And I sat in lunch with Bukele, the leader of El Salvador, with the president of the United States and with others, and talked about this case. And Bukele basically said, I don't want to send this guy back. I think he's a bad guy. He's my citizen.

And I believe, and we're getting in the weeds a little bit of the legal technicalities, but I believe the court term is you must facilitate his return. And I sat in lunch with Bukele, the leader of El Salvador, with the president of the United States and with others, and talked about this case. And Bukele basically said, I don't want to send this guy back. I think he's a bad guy. He's my citizen.

He's in a prison in El Salvador, and I think that's where he belongs. And our attitude was, okay, what are we really going to do? Are we going to exert extraordinary diplomatic pressure to bring a guy back to the United States who is a citizen of a foreign country who we had a valid deportation order with?

He's in a prison in El Salvador, and I think that's where he belongs. And our attitude was, okay, what are we really going to do? Are we going to exert extraordinary diplomatic pressure to bring a guy back to the United States who is a citizen of a foreign country who we had a valid deportation order with?

I understand there may be disagreements about the judgments that we made here, but there's just something that it's hard to take serious when so many of the people who are saying we made a terrible error here are the same people who made no – protests about how this guy got into the country in the first place or what Joe Biden did for four years to the American southern border.

I understand there may be disagreements about the judgments that we made here, but there's just something that it's hard to take serious when so many of the people who are saying we made a terrible error here are the same people who made no – protests about how this guy got into the country in the first place or what Joe Biden did for four years to the American southern border.

And he's also said explicitly he would follow the law and follow American courts on this. So I don't think it's unreasonable for the president to say, here's this thing I'd like to do so long as it's consistent with the law.

And he's also said explicitly he would follow the law and follow American courts on this. So I don't think it's unreasonable for the president to say, here's this thing I'd like to do so long as it's consistent with the law.