People who disgust you or me, when living legally in the United States, have the same constitutional rights as our friends and family do.

Whether the case against Kilmer Abrego Garcia is as airtight as the federal executive branch says it is, or as flimsy as Trump’s opponents say, a judge had forbidden his deportation to El Salvador a long time ago.

Whether through carelessness or malice, the current administration violated the judge’s orders and sent Abrego Garcia to El Salvador anyway.

Both sides had the right to present evidence to a judge and request changes. One side used its power to deprive the other side of that basic right.

Standing up for others’ rights isn’t just altruistic. It’s the best guarantee that, when someone doesn’t like something we’re doing, the structures that protect everyone’s rights will still be there for all of us.

DAVE CUNDIFF
Ilwaco