Maryland Senator Warns El Salvador President He’s Headed to Country If Wrongfully Deported Man Isn’t ‘Quickly Returned’
Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) declared he is headed to El Salvador if a man mistakenly deported to a megaprison in the country isn’t “quickly returned.”
Van Hollen joined CNN’s Kate Bolduan on Tuesday after sending a letter to the El Salvadoran ambassador asking for the release of Kilmar Abrego Garcia. The Trump administration previously admitted Garcia was deported by “error” to El Salvador, but continues to insist he is an MS-13 gang member that it has no power to retrieve. The Supreme Court has asked that it “facilitate” Garcia’s return. Garcia is not a convicted gang member, and his lawyers have pushed back on the White House’s claims.
Van Hollen told Bolduan that he has not heard back from El Salvador President Nayib Bukele on the matter of Garcia after the senator requested a meeting.
“I’ve not heard back from the president of El Salvador,” Van Hollen said. “And as I said in that letter, if I don’t hear from him and Abrego Garcia is not quickly returned, I do intend to go to El Salvador this week to show solidarity with his family. As you indicated, the Trump administration itself has admitted that he was abducted and sent to this prison in error. And he should get his due process.”
Van Hollen said he expects to meet with El Salvador officials during his visit and to tour the “notorious” prison where the United States has been mass deporting to.
“I hope to meet with officials of the government of El Salvador. I don’t know if the president is going to be in country at that time. I also hope to visit this notorious prison, to see Abrego Garcia, to let him know that his family and friends are very worried about him, as am I. I think that the situation for both the Trump administration and the president of El Salvador is unsustainable.”
Van Hollen accused Bukele of not telling the truth when he said he does not have the power to return Garcia.
“Every American citizen is due their due process and people who are in the United States under legal protective status like Arbrego Garcia was are entitled to due process,” the senator said. “So if the president gets to shred the Constitution and ignore the Supreme Court in this case, it is a very short path to the president ignoring court orders in other cases. So every American should care about this.”
Watch above via CNN.
