El Salvador Blocks Sen. Van Hollen's Visit with Deportee Garcia

Sen. Chris Van Hollen traveled to El Salvador seeking to meet Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Maryland man mistakenly deported to a Salvadoran supermax prison despite a U.S. court order to return him. El Salvadoran officials, including Vice President Félix Ulloa, denied Van Hollen's requests for both a visit and a phone call, suggesting any future communication would require U.S. Embassy involvement. Van Hollen asserted there is no evidence linking Abrego Garcia to the MS-13 gang, countering Trump administration claims and highlighting that Salvadoran officials also have no such evidence. He accused both the Trump administration and Salvadoran government of unjustly detaining Abrego Garcia and violating U.S. Supreme Court orders. Van Hollen criticized the U.S. for failing to comply with judicial rulings and for making unfounded allegations about Abrego Garcia's background. The senator emphasized that an immigration judge had previously found Abrego Garcia would face danger if returned to El Salvador, underscoring the legal and humanitarian concerns at the center of the case.