MD Sen. Van Hollen Heads to El Salvador to Advocate for Garcia’s Release/ Newslooks/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ Morning Edition/ Senator Chris Van Hollen traveled to El Salvador to press for the return of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Maryland resident wrongly deported by the Trump administration. A judge has ordered Abrego Garcia’s return, but El Salvador’s president has refused. Van Hollen says the case is about rule of law and due process.
Van Hollen’s El Salvador Trip – Quick Looks
- Sen. Chris Van Hollen traveled to El Salvador Wednesday morning.
- The trip centers on the wrongful deportation of Kilmar Abrego Garcia.
- Van Hollen vowed to go if the man was not returned by midweek.
- The Maryland man is a legal resident protected by a 2019 court order.
- A judge and the Supreme Court have ruled he must be returned.
- El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele said he refuses to send him back.
- Trump officials say the deportation order wasn’t clearly violated.
- White House has labeled Abrego Garcia a gang member — a claim denied.
- Court records reveal the gang claim was based on clothing and hearsay.
- The White House attacked Van Hollen for “sympathy toward criminals.”
- Democrats call the deportation illegal and a threat to due process.
Van Hollen Presses El Salvador to Release Kilmar Abrego Garcia After Wrongful Deportation
WASHINGTON (AP) – Senator Chris Van Hollen of Maryland followed through on his promise Wednesday, boarding a flight to El Salvador to advocate for the return of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a legal U.S. resident who was wrongfully deported by the Trump administration despite multiple court orders blocking such a move.
Van Hollen said the purpose of the trip is to pressure both the Trump administration and the Salvadoran government to comply with the law and respect due process.
“We are going to keep fighting to bring Abrego Garcia home until he returns to his family,” Van Hollen said in a video posted from a U.S. airport before his departure.
Upon arrival in San Salvador, the senator said he was preparing to meet with officials from the U.S. embassy and was hoping for direct engagement with high-ranking Salvadoran officials to advocate for the man’s release.
Wrongful Deportation Defies Court Orders
Abrego Garcia, who has lived in the U.S. since 2011, had been protected under a 2019 court ruling prohibiting his deportation to El Salvador. Despite that order—and subsequent rulings reaffirmed by the Supreme Court—he was mistakenly deported earlier this month.
Federal District Judge Paula Xinis has repeatedly admonished the administration, saying that the removal was not only unauthorized but in clear defiance of the court’s explicit ruling.
The Justice Department admitted the deportation was an error but has not facilitated Garcia’s return, prompting a wave of outrage from Democratic lawmakers.
Salvadoran President Defies U.S. Court Rulings
The crisis deepened on Monday when President Nayib Bukele of El Salvador, during a meeting with President Trump at the White House, said he had no intention of returning Abrego Garcia to the U.S.
“The question is preposterous,” Bukele said, sparking immediate backlash from legal experts and civil rights advocates.
The Salvadoran president’s statement has been viewed by many as a direct rebuke of the U.S. legal system and a diplomatic snub that may complicate U.S.-El Salvador relations moving forward.
Political Reactions and Partisan Attacks
Van Hollen’s trip was met with harsh criticism from the Trump White House. Communications Director Steven Cheung accused the senator of caring more about alleged criminals than American victims of migrant crime.
“He has shown more concern and sympathy for an illegal MS-13 gang member than victims of horrific migrant crimes,” Cheung wrote on X (formerly Twitter).
But court records contradict the administration’s claims. Abrego Garcia has never been criminally charged in either the U.S. or El Salvador. Judge Xinis even questioned the immigration judge’s prior gang designation, which was reportedly based on Garcia wearing a Chicago Bulls hat and hoodie, along with an uncorroborated tip from a confidential informant.
“This is about due process. This is about the rule of law,” Van Hollen said. “If we discard those principles, it’s a short road to tyranny.”
Democrats and Legal Experts Rally Around the Case
Democrats have framed the issue as a broader test of constitutional limits and judicial authority in the face of aggressive executive policies.
Van Hollen’s office confirmed that the senator made the trip in his official capacity, although no other lawmakers joined him despite earlier suggestions of bipartisan support.
“What bullies do is they begin by picking on the most vulnerable,” Van Hollen said. “We must resist that.”
Meanwhile, Rep. Riley Moore, R-W.V., posted that he had also visited El Salvador, including a tour of the notorious prison where U.S. deportees are being held. Moore said the visit only strengthened his support for Trump’s hardline immigration stance.
The Legal Fight Continues
While Van Hollen continues his diplomatic push in El Salvador, the courts in the U.S. are escalating proceedings. Judge Xinis is currently weighing contempt charges against the Trump administration for failure to comply with court orders.
Legal observers say the case could become a defining constitutional moment, testing the boundaries of judicial enforcement over executive power in immigration enforcement.
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