Senator Van Hollen travels to El Salvador over wrongful deportation of US resident
US Senator Chris Van Hollen (Photo: Getty Images)
Senator Chris Van Hollen flew to El Salvador to advocate for the return of Kilmar Abrego Garcia after US authorities wrongly deported him despite a court order protecting his residency, NBC News reports.
Fulfilling a public promise, Maryland Senator Chris Van Hollen arrived in El Salvador this week to press for the return of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a legal US resident mistakenly deported in defiance of court rulings.
CECOT, the maximum security prison in El Salvador where Abrego Garcia was sent by the US government (Photo: Wikipedia)
"We are going to keep fighting to bring Abrego Garcia home until he returns to his family," Van Hollen said in a video recorded at a US airport before departure.
While other Democratic lawmakers had expressed interest in joining, Van Hollen made the trip alone in his official capacity.
His team confirmed meetings with the US embassy and a high-ranking Salvadoran official.
The Biden administration has been legally ordered to facilitate Garcia’s return, an order reaffirmed by the Supreme Court, but little action has followed.
During a recent Oval Office meeting with President Trump, El Salvador's President Nayib Bukele refused to return Garcia, calling the request "preposterous."
Deportation draws fierce political clash
Van Hollen criticized both US and Salvadoran officials, framing the case as a test of constitutional values.
"This is about due process. This is about rule of law," he said. "If we get rid of the rule of law and due process in the United States, it's a short road from there to tyranny."
Kilmar Abrego Garcia (Photo: https://www.youtube.com/)
White House communications director Steven Cheung lashed out at Van Hollen, accusing him of sympathizing with "an illegal MS-13 gang member," though court records show Garcia has never been criminally charged.
US District Judge Paula Xinis disputed the gang label, noting it was based solely on Garcia wearing a Chicago Bulls hat and an unverified tip from an informant.
Despite the political firestorm, Van Hollen insists the case is about upholding justice, not partisanship.
Garcia, a US resident since 2011, remains in limbo as legal and political battles unfold across borders.
