Photo: Sen. Chris Van Hollen
Maryland Senator Chris Van Hollen met with Kilmar Abrego Garcia on Thursday (April 17) in El Salvador, after two days of efforts to secure the meeting. Abrego Garcia, a Salvadoran citizen and Maryland resident, was erroneously deported by the Trump administration despite a court order preventing his removal. Van Hollen's visit aimed to check on Abrego Garcia's well-being and push for his return to the United States.
Abrego Garcia, who had been held incommunicado in El Salvador's high-security Terrorism Confinement Center (CECOT), appeared healthy during the meeting. His deportation has become a contentious issue, with Democrats criticizing the Trump administration for its handling of the case and Republicans defending the deportation as part of a broader crime reduction effort.
The U.S. Supreme Court recently called on the administration to facilitate Abrego Garcia's return, but President Donald Trump and El Salvador's President Nayib Bukele have stated they have no basis for his return. The deportation has sparked legal battles, with a federal appeals court condemning the administration's inaction and warning of a potential constitutional crisis.
Van Hollen's meeting with Abrego Garcia came after he was initially denied entry to the prison where Abrego Garcia is held.