Senator Chris Van Hollen, a Maryland Democrat, met with Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia, a Maryland man wrongly deported to El Salvador. The meeting, which occurred at a hotel in San Salvador, followed the senator's unsuccessful attempt to visit Abrego Garcia in prison. Photos of the meeting were shared publicly, providing the first glimpse of Abrego Garcia since his deportation. President Nayib Bukele of El Salvador confirmed Abrego Garcia remains in custody.
Abrego Garcia's deportation was admitted as an error by the Trump administration. The Supreme Court ordered the administration to facilitate his return, but a judge criticized the government's inaction. Senator Van Hollen stated the meeting's purpose was to check on Abrego Garcia's well-being, given the lack of information about his condition since his deportation.
The situation remains a flashpoint in the immigration debate and fuels tension between the Trump administration and the courts. Senator Van Hollen's actions underscore the political pressure surrounding the case.
Senator Chris Van Hollen said on Thursday night that he had met in San Salvador with Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia, the Maryland man whose wrongful deportation to El Salvador last month has become a flashpoint in the immigration debate and fueled a standoff between the Trump administration and the courts.
Mr. Van Hollen, a Maryland Democrat and a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, shared a photo of the two men speaking on Thursday evening, hours after the senator had been denied entry to the prison where Mr. Abrego Garcia was being held.
The unexpected meeting took place at a hotel in San Salvador, according to photos shared by the senator’s office late Thursday. In the images, Mr. Abrego Garcia was dressed in plainclothes and sat for a conversation with Mr. Van Hollen. El Salvador’s president, Nayib Bukele, said on social media that Mr. Abrego Garcia would remain in his country’s custody.
The photos shared by Mr. Van Hollen and others posted by Mr. Bukele were the first public glimpses of Mr. Abrego Garcia since his deportation in March, which the Trump administration admitted in court was an error. The Supreme Court has ordered the administration to “facilitate” his return, but a federal judge overseeing the case has scolded the government for doing “nothing” to comply.
“Our purpose today was very straightforward,” Mr. Van Hollen said in an interview on Thursday, before the meeting with Mr. Abrego Garcia. “It was simply to be able to go see if Kilmar Abrego Garcia is doing OK. I mean, nobody has heard anything about his condition since he was illegally abducted from the United States. He is totally beyond reach.”
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