Sen. Van Hollen: Kilmar Abrego Garcia Faces Trauma in El Salvador Prison

Democratic Senator Chris Van Hollen visited Kilmar Ábrego García, a Salvadoran man wrongly deported from the U.S. despite having protection from removal due to threats of political persecution. Ábrego García, who had lived with his U.S. citizen wife and son in Maryland, was arrested after a traffic stop, denied communication, and transferred through various facilities before being flown to El Salvador and held in the notorious CECOT prison. He described being traumatized by his detention and lack of contact with the outside world, though he has since been moved to a less crowded facility. Van Hollen criticized the Trump administration for what he and courts have called an 'administrative error,' which resulted in Ábrego García's deportation and continued refusal to facilitate his return, despite a Supreme Court ruling. The senator emphasized that the case highlights broader threats to constitutional rights and due process for all U.S. residents. Salvadoran officials initially blocked access to Ábrego García, but eventually allowed the meeting, which Van Hollen documented and used to advocate for Ábrego García's return to the U.S.