Maryland Senator Chris Van Hollen recently traveled to El Salvador to advocate for the release of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a legal U.S. resident from Maryland who was deported despite a federal court order barring his removal. Abrego Garcia is currently imprisoned in El Salvador’s maximum-security CECOT facility, known for housing gang members.The Guardian+6AP News+6New York Magazine+6
The Trump administration alleges that Abrego Garcia has ties to the MS-13 gang, but no formal charges have been filed against him in either the U.S. or El Salvador. The U.S. Supreme Court had ordered his return, but both the Salvadoran government and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security have declined to act. AP News+1Diario AS+1Reuters
During his visit, Senator Van Hollen met with El Salvador’s Vice President Félix Ulloa but was denied access to Abrego Garcia. Ulloa indicated that the U.S. is funding Abrego Garcia’s incarceration and suggested that Van Hollen coordinate through the U.S. embassy for any further actions. The Guardian+6AP News+6Wikipedia+6Reuters+1Wikipedia+1
The case has sparked significant political debate in the U.S., with Democrats viewing it as a constitutional crisis and Republicans supporting the deportation. Van Hollen has vowed to continue advocating for Abrego Garcia’s return, highlighting concerns over judicial authority and human rights.
