California Rep. Eric Swalwell, a Democrat, confronted Homeland Security Secretary Krista Noem during a heated exchange about Kilmer Abrego Garcia, a citizen of El Salvador who was deported by the Trump administration. This took place at a Homeland Security Budget hearing in Washington, D.C., where Swalwell questioned the authenticity of photos showing Garcia’s hands marked with tattoos associated with the MS-13 gang.
Swalwell pressed Noem, asking, “Is this a doctor or isn’t it?” as he referred to images shared by Donald Trump on social media. He asserted that the letters “M,” “S,” “1,” and “3” appearing on the tattoos were digitally altered. Noem tried to respond, explaining that the deportation was backed by investigations and not just images, but Swalwell interrupted her.
“Look, I have kids, ages 7, 6, and 3. I have a bull—- detector,” Swalwell added, emphasizing his skepticism and requesting clarity on whether the images were truly credible.
Noem retorted that the focus should be on the substance rather than the photography itself. Meanwhile, lawyers for Garcia are reportedly looking to summon more officials from the Trump administration for testimony, potentially stretching to the White House.
Just last month, Trump posted a photo of himself in the Oval Office holding what he claimed was a tattoo of Garcia, linking him to the MS-13 gang.
Continuing his line of questioning, Swalwell challenged Noem further, who responded by asserting that the Department of Homeland Security’s priority was to safeguard the nation from serious criminal threats. “Abrego Garcia is a terrorist and a member of MS-13, involved in human trafficking,” Noem stated, insisting that he should not have been allowed to remain in the U.S. in the first place.
