Kristi Noem Confronts Dan Goldman Over Advocacy for Deported MS-13 Gang Member: “You’re Fighting for a Terrorist, Not Americans”

By: Fern Sidman

In a fiery and consequential exchange before the House Homeland Security Committee on Wednesday, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem took direct aim at Democratic Rep. Dan Goldman of New York, castigating him for what she called “fighting for a terrorist” rather than representing the American citizens who elected him.

As reported by The Daily Wire, the clash centered around the deportation of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a 29-year-old Salvadoran national with ties to the brutal MS-13 gang—an organization designated as a foreign terrorist group by the Trump administration. Garcia is also suspected of engaging in human smuggling and has made chilling threats, including one where he claimed he could murder his wife and face no consequences.

Yet despite this alarming profile, Rep. Goldman made a full-throated appeal for DHS to facilitate the return of Garcia to the United States, in compliance with a recent Supreme Court order. The Daily Wire reported that the decision drew sharp criticism from Noem and Republican committee members, who emphasized that Garcia is neither a citizen nor a lawful resident and is now back in his native El Salvador.

Democrat Rep. Dan Goldman is having a meltdown over MTG submitting evidence of Kilmar Garcia being an MS-13 member into the record: “You are misstating what all of that evidence is!” pic.twitter.com/kJkdhSaNdF

— TheBlaze (@theblaze) May 14, 2025

“What steps have you taken to return Mr. Abrego Garcia to allow him to get due process?” Goldman asked Noem.

“Abrego Garcia is in his home country,” Noem began to respond before being rudely interrupted by Goldman. Holding her ground, she added with unmistakable clarity: “It’s got to be extremely discouraging to be one of your constituents. To see you fight for a terrorist like this and not fight for them is extremely alarming to me, and I’m sure it is to them as well.”

As The Daily Wire report noted, Noem’s takedown of Goldman was emblematic of her broader commitment to national security and border integrity—principles increasingly under siege by progressive Democrats who, like Goldman, appear more eager to accommodate criminal aliens than protect the American people.

Goldman’s advocacy for Garcia went even further than Capitol Hill. Earlier this year, his Democratic colleague Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) reportedly flew to El Salvador to meet with the deported illegal alien—an extraordinary gesture that critics have called “a slap in the face to every law-abiding American.”

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) swiftly condemned Goldman’s behavior after his exchange with Noem. “There is nothing Democrats love more than defending the cartels, the criminals, and the rapists,” she said, highlighting a disturbing trend within the party that The Daily Wire has frequently exposed.

Greene also took Goldman to task over his objections to admitting a post from former Attorney General Pam Bondi into the Congressional Record. The report in The Daily Wire indicated that the post linked Garcia to MS-13, and Greene laid out a damning list of official confirmations tying him to the violent gang.

“A Maryland County Police Gang Unit agreed that he is MS-13, a reliable confidential informant agreed that he is MS-13,” Greene stated. “ICE officers agreed that he is MS-13, an immigration judge agreed that he is MS-13, an appellate board agreed that Kilmar Abrego Garcia, your Maryland man, is MS-13.”

The evidence was overwhelming, yet Goldman continued his dogged campaign to return this individual to the United States.

Kristi Noem’s performance before the committee showcased her unyielding dedication to national security and the rule of law—qualities that set her apart in today’s chaotic political landscape, as The Daily Wire report pointed out.  Unlike Goldman, whose priorities appear to lie with foreign criminals rather than American citizens, Noem continues to make it clear that protecting the homeland is her non-negotiable mandate.

For conservatives watching the hearing, Noem’s steadfast leadership and sharp rebuke of Goldman offered a refreshing contrast to the moral confusion and political appeasement that have plagued Washington’s approach to immigration and national security. While Goldman may posture as a defender of due process, The Daily Wire highlighted what many Americans see instead: a lawmaker more concerned with the welfare of gang-affiliated illegal aliens than the safety of his own constituents.