Senator Chris Van Hollen mentioned on Friday that Kilmer Abrego Garcia is entirely unaware of his family’s struggle to obtain his release as well as the intense political discussions surrounding his future, when Maryland Democrats encountered the man who was mistakenly deported to El Salvador this week.
“When he shared that his wife and family were sending their affection and fighting for Kilmer’s return every single day, he responded with concern about everything concerning you,” Van Hollen informed reporters at Dulles International Airport, during an event that included the family of Abrego Garcia.
“How are you coping with this terrible ordeal and the nightmares for your family?” Van Hollen asked.
“He said thinking about you, a family member, was what motivated him to persist each day, even in these awful circumstances,” stated Van Hollen, who spoke shortly after returning from an impactful visit to meet with Abrego Garcia.
Van Hollen disclosed that Abrego Garcia was unaware of the Supreme Court’s directives to facilitate his reentry, and, as acknowledged by the Spanish acronym, was barred from accessing information about the outside world even after being moved from the notorious CECOT prison.
Abrego Garcia is presently at the Santa Ana facility in El Salvador.
“He still lacks access to news from the outside world and cannot communicate with anyone outside of prison,” Van Hollen stated.
“The conversation with me was his first interaction with someone from outside since he was accused. He expressed deep sadness over being incarcerated, claiming he had not committed any crime.”
Abrego Garcia was shielded from deportation to El Salvador by an immigration judge in 2019, and the Justice Department informed the court that his removal was a result of “administrative mistakes.”
Van Hollen continued to criticize the Trump administration for attempting to label Abrego Garcia as a member of the MS-13 gang.
“The Trump administration wants to misrepresent what this event entails. They seek to divert attention. They aim to shift the focus onto something else.”
However, he noted that despite the Trump administration referencing initial gang tips and releasing another court document revealing that Abrego Garcia’s wife had initially requested protection, he later declined to pursue a protective order, and that there was no evidence presented in court despite the judge stating that he had not demonstrated he was an MS-13 member.
“In other words, they went to court and remained silent,” Van Hollen remarked, emphasizing that even non-citizens have the right to due process under the US Constitution.
“This situation is about upholding the constitutional rights of Abrego Garcia and all Americans. President Trump and his administration want to suggest that those fighting to uphold our constitution are against combating gang violence. That is a complete falsehood. It is a significant lie.”
Van Hollen further mentioned that Salvadoran authorities had denied his attempts to arrange a meeting, and that soldiers obstructed his later attempt to drive to CECOT.
He commended his presence and the press briefing attended by Salvadoran media, applying pressure on El Salvador’s President, Naive Bukele, to reconsider his stance.
“It’s quite evident why they adopted a permissive attitude. They felt under pressure. During my visit to El Salvador, there were two significant press briefings, including local reports that highlighted this, indicating they were experiencing pressure. [the] Prison,” he remarked.
The meeting was organized at the last minute. Just as Van Hollen was set to board a flight back to the US, instead of visiting Abrego Garcia in prison, he was escorted to his hotel where Van Hollen was staying.
The Salvadoran government initially attempted to stage a meeting at the hotel pool.
“This is the individual who was in CECOT, this is someone in custody. They intended to create a false impression that Kilmer’s life was quite pleasant.”
During their meeting, staff served Margaritas to both individuals. Van Hollen stated that it was aimed at making detainees appear to enjoy their drinks, which included providing Abrego Garcia with a glass of low liquid.
“No one drank a margarita,” Van Hollen asserted, claiming the salt rim couldn’t be touched and could be verified in the photos.
“This illustrates a lengthy lesson that President Bukele is enacting to mislead people about the reality of the situation.”
Van Hollen revealed that the Trump administration is compensating the Salvadoran government $15 million to Abrego Garcia and other deported individuals next year.
“I urge the Vice President of El Salvador to reconsider if he wants to be part of a system that has just been rewarded for its involvement in this unlawful scheme.”
