Cal Thomas’ April 23 piece, “When a wrong narrative hides the truth” is so full of misleading statements, half-truths, and outright falsehoods, that it’s difficult to know where to start.

He claims, without evidence, that Kilmar Abrego Garcia is a member of the gang known as MS-13 and that he is suspected of human trafficking. Abrego Garcia did enter the U.S. illegally years ago after being threatened by gang members who were extorting money from his parents. After being in court a number of times, a judge ruled that he could stay in the U.S. because going back to El Salvador would put him in grave danger. Since then, Abrego Garcia has never been charged with a crime and has reported to ICE yearly as required.

Thomas claims that Abrego Garcia was given due process. Yes – YEARS AGO and by an IMMIGRATION judge. But on March 12 of this year he was arrested without being charged with a crime. He was then shipped off with other detainees to a prison in El Salvador WITHOUT due process. The other detainees were not charged or given due process, either. They may be innocent or guilty, and it is impossible, at this point, to know one way or the other. In the U.S., even those suspected of the worst kind of crimes have the right to their day in court, and all are innocent until proven guilty. THIS is why many of us are so appalled by these actions by the Trump Administration. It’s less about the detainees than about the rule of law.

The Supreme Court, with a 6-3 conservative majority and three justices nominated by Trump, has ruled 9-0 that Abrego Garcia be returned to the US. But Trump, the convicted felon, continues to defy the Supreme Court ruling.

Denise Zielinski

Bowling Green