House Democrats Spend on El Salvador Trip
In the spring, House Democrats spent over $7,000 on a trip to El Salvador. This journey included Representatives Robert Garcia from California, Maxwell Frost from Florida, Yassamin Ansari from Arizona, and Maxine Dexter from Oregon, who arrived in San Salvador on April 21. They aimed to pressure the Trump administration regarding the release of Abrego Garcia.
Garcia’s campaign reported spending $1,981.99 on Taka International Airlines for flights taken shortly before April 17. Frost’s campaign covered $1,362.49 for Avianca, a Latin American airline, and $967.43 for a flight with Volaris. Ansari had the highest expenses, totaling $2,616.45, primarily with Avianca Airlines over four separate transactions between April 17 and 21. Dexter’s campaign paid $1,315.44 for a TACA Airlines flight on April 18.
While lawmakers did not account for accommodation costs in El Salvador in their Federal Election Commission filings, it appears most, except Garcia, covered their travel expenses personally. Ansari’s office stated that the lawmakers financed their flights and hotels out of their own pockets and used campaign funds to pay for campaign volunteers.
Ansari’s team previously confirmed to a local NBC affiliate that they “paid for the trip out of their pocket.” Meanwhile, a spokesperson for Garcia mentioned that the trip was funded through his personal campaign funds. According to Dexter’s officials, members self-funded their flights. However, a Frost representative indicated that some taxpayer-funded MRA resources came into play, but later updates clarified no MRA funds were used.
Notably, any travel expense exceeding $1,000 is considered a contribution to the campaign when recorded by candidate or campaign staff, according to the FEC.
Separately, Representative Glenn Ivey from Maryland visited El Salvador to meet Abrego Garcia, a former resident of his district, spending only $291.25 in campaign funds. His office emphasized that he did not use MRA or taxpayer money to cover the trip and ensured that all costs were reported in compliance with federal guidelines.
Conversely, there are claims regarding a photo opportunity that Senator Chris Van Hollen had during a meeting with Abrego Garcia. Reports suggested that Salvadoran officials staged it strategically. Following this, Senate Republicans mocked the political trips, jokingly offering “one-way” tickets for more Democrats to visit El Salvador.
Meanwhile, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries reportedly dissuaded fellow Democrats from joining the trip, despite some praise for Dexter’s later political moves. At a press conference, Congressman Henry Cuellar was asked about Jeffries’ remarks but seemed to deflect the question regarding Abrego Garcia.
Abrego Garcia had connections to the notorious MS-13 gang and was deported after illegal entry into the U.S. in 2011. He was arrested in early 2019, allegedly alongside other gang members.
In 2019, an immigration judge issued a decision preventing immediate deportation while allowing removal to other countries, but he was released without the Trump administration contesting that decision. Abrego Garcia was later moved to a different facility in El Salvador and encouraged to return to the U.S., where he faced human trafficking charges.
Claims about his gang affiliation have been denied by his wife and defense attorney. Requests for comments from representatives of Garcia, Frost, and Dexter went unanswered.
