Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) stated that if the Trump administration infringed on the rights of one individual, specifically Kilmer Abrego Garcia, they were endangering the rights of “everyone.”
Van Hollen appeared on CNN’s “Status of the Union” on Sunday after returning to the US from a visit to El Salvador, where he met with Abrego Garcia.
“To deny this one man’s constitutional rights jeopardizes the constitutional rights of every person in America,” Van Hollen asserted.
The senator’s visit to the Salvadoran prison holding Abrego Garcia has faced significant criticism. He mentioned that Abrego Garcia remains completely uninformed about the efforts to secure his release and the political discussions surrounding his deportation.
The Maryland Senator condemned President Trump for his deportation actions, claiming the president aimed to expel violent offenders and labeled Abrego Garcia as a member of MS-13.
“His stance suggests that one cannot challenge it while still upholding the constitutional rights of individuals,” Van Hollen remarked. “That’s a very perilous outlook.”
The Supreme Court indicated that there should be provisions for the administration to facilitate the return of Abrego Garcia and emphasized the need to “promote” his return. The administration identified El Salvador as responsible for Abrego Garcia’s deportation.
Host Dana Bash inquired if Van Hollen would accept the scenario where Abrego Garcia has gone back to his home and is found unlawfully in the country, leading to his deportation.
The senator affirmed he would accept any result as long as Abrego Garcia is afforded his right to due process, which was granted to him through a 2019 court ruling.
“Whatever the law dictates is acceptable, but currently, we have a lawless president,” Van Hollen stated.
“We face a lawless president who disregards the U.S. Supreme Court’s orders to facilitate his return, and that’s the reality we are dealing with right now,” he added. “This poses a risk for all of us.”
