A U.S. Senator’s trip to El Salvador to intervene on behalf of a deported MS-13 suspect was denied by officials, escalating a political clash over immigration enforcement.
Key Facts:
- Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) visited El Salvador to see Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a deported Salvadoran national with alleged MS-13 ties.
- El Salvador refused Van Hollen’s request, citing protocol and national security concerns.
- The Trump administration maintains that Abrego Garcia’s deportation was lawful under a 2019 removal order.
- Abrego Garcia is currently held in CECOT, a high-security prison used for terrorists and gang members.
- A federal judge is demanding the Trump team prove it attempted to comply with orders regarding his return.
Rest of the Story: Deportation Dispute in El Salvador: Senators El Salvador Trip Fallout
Sen. Chris Van Hollen traveled to El Salvador to visit Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a man deported from the U.S. under a 2019 order and believed to be tied to MS-13.
Salvadoran officials denied the senator’s request to see him in person or over the phone.
Van Hollen claimed that El Salvador’s Vice President Félix Ulloa told him the Trump administration is paying El Salvador to detain Abrego Garcia.
The Salvadoran government told Van Hollen he needed to make advance arrangements or coordinate through the U.S. embassy, both of which he failed to do.
Abrego Garcia had been living in Maryland before being deported, despite a previous judge’s order not to send him back due to the risk of persecution.
Still, the Trump administration argued his final removal order remains valid, and cited national security concerns over MS-13 ties.
Sen. Chris Van Hollen is complaining that El Salvador denied his request to meet with Kilmar Abrego Garcia.
Yes, it turns out that American lawmakers have no power to demand a meeting with a foreign citizen in a foreign country. Imagine! pic.twitter.com/ldCVsO0WWd
— Charlie Kirk (@charliekirk11) April 16, 2025
Commentary: Public Reaction and Political Stance
This entire episode is a self-inflicted embarrassment.
Sen. Van Hollen didn’t just go to another country to intervene in a deportation—he went to champion someone who was suspected of being a violent gang member.
That’s not courage, it’s political theater at the expense of public safety.
Americans are tired of politicians putting the interests of criminals—especially those with ties to violent gangs—above the rule of law.
Van Hollen’s actions are a slap in the face to law enforcement and the millions of Americans who want illegal aliens with criminal backgrounds deported.
This is the hill Democrats continue to die on: defending non-citizens with criminal records, even when 74% of Americans support their removal.
It’s the kind of tone-deaf move that’s going to cost them in upcoming elections.
Rather than working on bipartisan immigration reforms or fixing the border crisis, Democrats are globe-trotting to defend MS-13 suspects.
That’s not compassion—it’s pure foolishness.
The Trump administration, for all its critics, made a lawful deportation under standing orders.
If the law says someone should be removed, that decision should be respected.
Anything else undermines the legal system.
Sen. Van Hollen’s failed visit shows a party more interested in symbolism than in safety.
Voters won’t forget this come November.
The Bottom Line: Senators El Salvador Trip Sparks Immigration Firestorm
Sen. Van Hollen’s trip to El Salvador has ignited renewed outrage over how Democrats handle criminal deportations.
His inability to see Abrego Garcia didn’t just fail—it spotlighted how far his party is willing to go to reverse lawful removals.
At a time when Americans demand strong borders, this spectacle sends the wrong message.
El Salvador stood its ground.
The American public is likely to do the same—at the ballot box.
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