Maryland Senator Chris Van Hollen, D, announced he will head to El Salvador on Wednesday to verify the status of a deported legal resident.
Kilmer Abrego Garcia gained attention after being expelled by the Trump administration due to “administrative errors” and was subsequently detained at one of El Salvador’s infamous prisons, CECOT.
“Following his wrongful deportation, the US federal court has mandated the United States to ensure the return of my constituent Kilmer Abrego Garcia,” Van Hollen stated in a Tuesday release.
“Guaranteeing his safe release should be a priority for the US government, which is why I am visiting El Salvador tomorrow,” he further commented.
White House representatives claim Abrego Garcia is affiliated with the MS-13 gang. He resided in the United States for over a decade after fleeing El Salvador due to threats of violence and persecution.
The immigration court had granted him permission to remain, considering the turmoil in his hometown.
“I aim to meet Kilmer, assess his well-being, and engage in constructive discussions with government officials regarding his release. We must urgently work towards getting Abrego Garcia back home safely to Maryland,” Van Hollen remarked.
El Salvador’s President Naive Bukere stated on Monday that he would not facilitate the return of the Maryland resident.
“I certainly won’t do that,” he remarked during a meeting with President Trump in the Oval Office. “It’s preposterous. How can you smuggle terrorists into the US? We lack the capacity to send him back to the US.”
White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt reiterated that there is no possibility for him to be released into US custody.
“His repatriation to El Salvador will always be the final conclusion. There will never be a scenario where he is peacefully living in Maryland,” Leavitt stated during a press briefing on Tuesday.
“He is a foreign terrorist and a member of the MS-13 gang. I can confirm that President Bukere acknowledged this during his Oval Office meeting yesterday, and I stand by that statement,” Leavitt continued. “Therefore, he will go back to his home country, where he will face repercussions for his gang connections and involvement in human trafficking. I don’t believe this is difficult for anyone in the media to grasp.”
Her remarks starkly contrast with the Supreme Court’s ruling that supported a lower court’s directive to “facilitate” the return under the Trump administration.
