Democratic U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen announced on Wednesday that officials in El Salvador had denied him access to Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Salvadoran man who was mistakenly deported and is currently being held in a notorious prison in the country.
Van Hollen, who traveled to El Salvador to meet with top officials and advocate for Abrego Garcia’s release, was informed by El Salvador’s Vice President Felix Ulloa that he could not authorize a visit or even a phone call with Abrego Garcia.
A member of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Van Hollen was also told by Ulloa that El Salvador was not releasing Abrego Garcia because the U.S. was paying for his imprisonment.
“Why should the U.S. government be funding the imprisonment of a man who was illegally taken from the United States and has committed no crime?” Van Hollen, a senator from Maryland, where Abrego Garcia had lived, asked.
The El Salvadoran government did not respond to a request for comment about Van Hollen’s visit.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt criticized Van Hollen’s actions, suggesting that taxpayer dollars were being used to “demand the release of a deported illegal alien MS-13 terrorist.” She also expressed disdain for Van Hollen’s trip, claiming it showed a lack of common sense and empathy for U.S. citizens.
The U.S. Supreme Court had directed the Trump administration to facilitate Abrego Garcia’s return, acknowledging that his deportation was a result of an administrative mistake. However, during a meeting with President Donald Trump at the White House, El Salvador’s president Nayib Bukele made it clear that he had no intention of returning Abrego Garcia. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has stated it lacks the authority to bring him back to the U.S.
Abrego Garcia, now 29, left El Salvador at the age of 16 to flee gang-related violence. His lawyers confirmed that he was granted a protective order in 2019, allowing him to remain in the U.S., and has never been charged with or convicted of any crime. They also denied allegations from the Justice Department suggesting he is a member of the MS-13 gang.
Under the Trump administration, hundreds of people—primarily Venezuelans—have been deported to El Salvador under the Alien Enemies Act of 1798, with the government labeling them as gang members without providing evidence or trial. Lawyers have stated that neither government has revealed the identities of the detainees, and the individuals have been denied access to legal counsel or contact with the outside world since their incarceration.
REF: REUTERS
