Sen. Van Hollen Presses El Salvador for Return of Deported MD Resident/ Newslooks/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ Morning Edition/ Sen. Chris Van Hollen traveled to El Salvador and met with Vice President Félix Ulloa to push for the release of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, who was deported despite a court order protecting him. Salvadoran officials refused to release Garcia or permit a visit. The incident has sparked a broader political battle over immigration, judicial authority, and human rights.
Van Hollen’s El Salvador Mission – Quick Looks
- Maryland Sen. Chris Van Hollen met with El Salvador’s Vice President Félix Ulloa.
- He demanded the release of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, who was wrongfully deported.
- Salvadoran officials denied his request to visit Garcia in prison.
- U.S. courts had previously ruled Garcia should not be deported.
- Trump administration alleges gang ties but has provided no public evidence.
- Democrats are framing the case as a constitutional crisis and judicial defiance.
- Republicans support the deportation as part of Trump’s immigration crackdown.
- U.S. Supreme Court has called for Garcia’s return to Maryland.
- Democrats plan to escalate pressure with congressional visits to El Salvador.
- El Salvador has accepted over 200 deportees placed in high-security prisons.
Sen. Chris Van Hollen Meets Salvadoran Officials to Demand Release of Wrongfully Deported U.S. Resident
DEEP LOOKS
SAN SALVADOR (AP) – Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) visited El Salvador on Wednesday to press for the release of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Maryland resident who was deported by the Trump administration in March despite a court order explicitly blocking his removal. Van Hollen met with Vice President Félix Ulloa, who denied the senator’s request to see Abrego Garcia in person and declined to facilitate his return.
“Why is the government of El Salvador continuing to imprison a man for whom there is no criminal evidence, and who the U.S. courts have ordered to remain in the country?” Van Hollen asked during a press conference in San Salvador.
The Legal Backdrop
Abrego Garcia, a Salvadoran national who had been living in Maryland, was granted protection from deportation under a 2019 immigration court order. His lawyers say he has no criminal record and has never been charged with gang-related activity, contrary to Trump administration claims that he is tied to MS-13.
Despite legal protections, Garcia was removed from U.S. custody and flown to El Salvador in March, where he has since been held in a maximum-security prison associated with the country’s war on gangs.
Supreme Court Intervenes, But Trump Refuses
The U.S. Supreme Court reaffirmed a lower court ruling that Garcia’s deportation violated judicial orders and called on the administration to “facilitate his return.” However, President Donald Trump and Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele said they would not comply, claiming national security concerns.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt doubled down during a press briefing, calling the deportation necessary and accusing Democrats of siding with criminals.
“It’s appalling and sad that Sen. Van Hollen and Democrats are unable to show basic empathy for their own citizens,” Leavitt said, appearing with the mother of Rachel Morin, a Maryland woman killed in 2023 by an undocumented migrant.
Democratic Response: A Constitutional Crisis
Democrats have rallied around the case, framing it as not only a human rights violation but also a challenge to judicial authority.
“This is a constitutional crisis,” said Rep. Robert Garcia (D-Calif.), who is organizing a congressional delegation to El Salvador. “It’s about defying the Constitution and the Supreme Court.”
Garcia, along with Rep. Maxwell Frost (D-Fla.), has formally requested the House Oversight Committee authorize a bipartisan trip to investigate Garcia’s imprisonment. If blocked, they say they will travel independently.
Rep. Yassamin Ansari (D-Ariz.) has also announced plans to visit. Drawing on her family’s history of fleeing authoritarian regimes, she stated:
“My parents escaped Iran where people simply disappeared. I won’t allow it to happen here.”
Republican Support for Deportation and Detention
Republican leaders have defended the deportation as a national security victory and an example of Trump’s tough-on-crime immigration agenda.
Tom Homan, the former acting ICE Director and Trump’s current immigration czar, blasted Democrats during an appearance on Fox & Friends.
“We removed a dangerous gang member. El Salvador is his home, and that’s where he belongs,” Homan said.
Several Republican lawmakers have visited the Tecoluca prison where Garcia is being held. Rep. Riley Moore (R-W.Va.) posted online that the facility houses El Salvador’s “most brutal criminals” and expressed support for Trump’s mass deportation strategy.
Tensions Mount Over Rule of Law
Back in the United States, the Biden-appointed District Judge Paula Xinis continues to pressure the administration for answers. Legal filings show a pattern of noncompliance and vague justifications by Trump officials. The administration has described Garcia’s removal as a “mistake” but insists he remains ineligible for protection.
Since March, El Salvador has accepted over 200 deportees, mostly Venezuelans accused of gang affiliation, who are now imprisoned under President Bukele’s controversial crackdown, which has incarcerated more than 84,000 individuals.
Concerns Over Human Rights Violations
The prison where Garcia is being held has faced global scrutiny for alleged abuse and torture. Human rights organizations, including Human Rights Watch, have accused Bukele’s administration of subjecting detainees to inhumane conditions.
Despite these allegations, U.S. officials have continued deportations to El Salvador, often bypassing asylum claims and judicial reviews.
Van Hollen Vows to Keep Fighting
Senator Van Hollen, a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, was not permitted to see Abrego Garcia but said he would continue to raise the issue in Congress and internationally.
“Abrego Garcia was illegally abducted from the United States,” Van Hollen said. “He committed no crime. I will keep pressing this case until justice is served.”
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