U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen traveled to El Salvador this week to push for the release of Kilmar Abrego Garcia—a Maryland man deported under the Trump administration despite a court order preventing his removal.
Speaking from the capital San Salvador, Van Hollen said Vice President Félix Ulloa refused to allow him to visit Abrego Garcia, who is currently being held in a high-security gang prison. Ulloa also stated the Salvadoran government would not return him to the U.S., sparking growing criticism from human rights advocates and Democratic lawmakers.
“Why is a man being kept behind bars without any evidence of a crime?” Van Hollen asked. “The Salvadoran government has received no proof from the U.S. that Abrego Garcia has committed any wrongdoing. They should release him.”
Abrego Garcia, a Salvadoran national who lived in Maryland, was deported in March 2023 despite a U.S. immigration court ruling in his favor. Trump-era officials have accused him of gang affiliations—specifically with MS-13—but no formal charges have ever been brought, and his legal team claims the accusations are unsubstantiated.
Van Hollen, a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, strongly criticized the Trump administration’s actions, calling the deportation “illegal” and a violation of court orders. “This is about the rule of law. This is about respecting our Constitution,” he said.
The case has stirred political tensions at home. While Republicans maintain that Abrego Garcia is a danger, Democrats see his removal as an attack on the judicial system. The Trump administration has refused to comply with a Supreme Court recommendation to repatriate him, maintaining that he poses a threat.
At a press briefing, Trump White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt condemned Van Hollen’s visit. Standing beside the mother of Rachel Morin—a Maryland woman killed by a Salvadoran fugitive—Leavitt accused Democrats of ignoring victims of immigrant crime.
“We have to prioritize the safety of American citizens,” she said.
Meanwhile, Democratic lawmakers are increasing their support for Abrego Garcia. Several members of Congress, including Rep. Robert Garcia (D-CA), Rep. Maxwell Frost (D-FL), and Rep. Yassamin Ansari (D-AZ), are calling for a delegation to visit El Salvador and demand his release. If their request is denied, they say they’ll travel independently to press the issue.
Ansari, whose parents fled Iran, compared Abrego Garcia’s case to authoritarian tactics. “People used to disappear under regimes like the one my family escaped. I won’t let that happen here,” she said.
Republicans have also weighed in by visiting the same prison holding Abrego Garcia, praising it as a vital part of El Salvador’s anti-gang campaign. Rep. Riley Moore and Rep. Jason Smith both toured the facility and praised President Trump’s deportation efforts, calling the prison a place for “the country’s most brutal criminals.”
El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele has filled the prison with tens of thousands of alleged gang members, drawing international praise for crime reduction—and sharp criticism for alleged human rights violations. Groups accuse his government of using torture and mistreatment, claims that Bukele denies.
Despite the challenges, Van Hollen vowed to continue advocating for Abrego Garcia. “He was wrongfully deported, never charged with a crime, and is now imprisoned under false pretenses,” the senator said. “I’m not giving up.”
