Democrats Seek Release of Wrongly Deported Garcia in El Salvador

Four House Democrats traveled to El Salvador to advocate for the return of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Maryland resident who was deported to El Salvador in what was initially admitted as an administrative error by the Trump administration. The lawmakers—Robert Garcia, Maxwell Frost, Yassamin Ansari, and Maxine Dexter—aim to highlight what they describe as the administration's defiance of a Supreme Court order to facilitate Abrego Garcia’s return to the U.S. and to draw attention to broader concerns about due process in immigration enforcement. Their visit follows a similar trip by Senator Chris Van Hollen, who managed to meet with Abrego Garcia after negotiations with Salvadoran officials. El Salvador has so far refused to return Abrego Garcia, asserting his Salvadoran citizenship and detainment under local authority. The Democrats' official trip request was denied funding by House Oversight Committee Chair James Comer, compelling them to undertake the trip independently. The case has become a flashpoint for criticism of the Trump administration’s immigration policies and adherence to judicial rulings.