Senator Chris Van Hollen of Maryland traveled to El Salvador this week and met with Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Salvadoran man who was deported from the United States earlier this year in direct violation of an immigration court order.
The meeting, which took place under complex legal and diplomatic circumstances, has ignited a political storm back in the United States and placed further pressure on the Trump administration over its handling of immigration and deportation cases.
Van Hollen posted a photograph on the platform X showing him meeting with Abrego Garcia. Alongside the photo, the senator said he also spoke by phone with Abrego Garcia’s wife to "pass along his message of love."
The senator did not offer any immediate update on the legal or physical status of Abrego Garcia but noted that further details would be forthcoming by the end of the week.
Just minutes before Van Hollen shared his post, El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele posted his own message and photo of the meeting. In his post, Bukele confirmed that Abrego Garcia had undergone a health evaluation and would remain in custody in El Salvador.
His post ended with emojis of the flags of both nations and a handshake, suggesting that the situation was being framed as a show of cooperation between the two countries.
A spokeswoman for Bukele’s office declined to provide additional comment or clarify the Salvadoran government's plans regarding Abrego Garcia’s custody or legal status.
The visit by Van Hollen took place after significant resistance from Salvadoran authorities. The senator revealed that earlier in the day, he had been stopped at a military checkpoint roughly three kilometers from the prison where Abrego Garcia is being held.
Van Hollen said he was attempting to personally assess the detained man’s health and well-being after weeks of unanswered inquiries.
"They stopped us because they are under orders not to allow us to proceed," Van Hollen said at a press conference held later that day in San Salvador.
The prison in question, known as the Terrorism Confinement Center or CECOT, is part of President Bukele’s much-publicized crackdown on gang violence in the country. Located just outside San Salvador, the facility has been home to thousands of individuals alleged to be members of organized crime groups, particularly MS-13 and Barrio 18.
Human rights groups have raised alarms over the conditions at the prison, citing reports of torture, mistreatment, and arbitrary detention. The Salvadoran government has repeatedly denied such allegations.
Abrego Garcia, a Salvadoran national who had been living in Maryland with his family, was deported in March by the Trump administration despite a standing court order preventing his removal. Immigration advocates, including his legal team, argue that his rights were violated when he was removed from the United States without a final judicial decision.
Van Hollen and other Democratic lawmakers have said the case illustrates a broader disregard for legal processes and human rights under Trump’s immigration policy.
The senator’s trip and subsequent press statements have deepened partisan divides in Washington. Democrats have pointed to the case as further evidence of what they describe as cruelty and lawlessness in the administration’s immigration enforcement strategy.
Meanwhile, Republicans have accused Democrats of defending a man they claim has ties to organized crime, despite a lack of criminal charges.
Trump officials have said that Abrego Garcia is linked to the MS-13 gang, though no charges have been filed against him related to gang activity. His attorneys argue that the government has presented no credible evidence to back those claims.
Van Hollen has also publicly stated that Abrego Garcia has not been given the opportunity to communicate with his legal representatives or family members since his detention in El Salvador.
"There has been no ability to find out anything about his health and well-being," Van Hollen said. "He should be able to have contact with his lawyers under international law. We won’t give up until Kilmar has his due process rights respected."
The legal status of Abrego Garcia remains unresolved, even as the U.S. Supreme Court has weighed in and called on the Trump administration to facilitate his return. Despite that ruling, administration officials have so far refused to comply.
Their refusal has prompted increasing legal battles in federal court, where judges have repeatedly asked the administration to explain what steps, if any, it is taking to correct the deportation.
In response, Trump officials have insisted that returning Abrego Garcia is neither feasible nor necessary. President Trump, during a recent press conference, stated that "there is no basis to bring him back," even while acknowledging that his initial deportation may have been an administrative mistake.
Van Hollen met earlier this week with El Salvador’s Vice President Félix Ulloa, who told the senator that his government was not in a position to return Abrego Garcia to the United States.
Van Hollen said the statement underscores the need for U.S. leadership to take responsibility and correct what he and others see as a violation of judicial authority.
The senator said that additional lawmakers are expected to travel to El Salvador in the coming weeks to apply diplomatic pressure and to show solidarity with Abrego Garcia’s legal team. Senator Cory Booker of New Jersey is reportedly considering a visit, as are several members of the House of Representatives.
Meanwhile, Republican lawmakers have been taking trips of their own. Multiple House Republicans, including Rep. Riley Moore of West Virginia and Rep. Jason Smith of Missouri, have visited the CECOT prison where Abrego Garcia is held.
Neither congressman mentioned him by name in their public statements, but both praised the prison and its role in Bukele’s anti-crime efforts.
"The facility houses the country’s most brutal criminals," Moore wrote on social media. "I leave now even more determined to support President Trump’s efforts to secure our homeland."
Smith, who serves as the chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, posted a similar message, crediting Trump’s leadership with the crackdown on illegal immigration and crime.
"Thanks to President Trump, this facility now includes illegal immigrants who broke into our country and committed violent acts against Americans," Smith posted.
The broader context of Abrego Garcia’s case adds another layer of complexity. In recent months, El Salvador has accepted over 200 immigrants from the United States, most of them Venezuelan nationals.
The Trump administration has claimed these individuals were involved in gang activity, and many have been placed directly into high-security detention upon arrival in El Salvador.
President Bukele’s administration has touted the policy as part of a national push to eradicate gang violence. His government has reported that over 84,000 people have been arrested as part of the initiative, making him one of the most popular political figures in the country’s history.
However, human rights groups have condemned the policies, alleging widespread abuses, including torture, lack of access to legal counsel, and inhumane conditions within prisons.
For Abrego Garcia, the stakes are personal and immediate. His wife remains in Maryland, waiting for updates and advocating for his return. His legal team in the U.S. has filed multiple emergency motions in federal court demanding that the government comply with the court order and bring him back to the United States.
Back in San Salvador, Van Hollen concluded his visit by reiterating that the fight is not over.
"We came here to see with our own eyes what is happening," he said. "We’re not going to stop until Kilmar is back home and his rights are restored. The rule of law means something, and we are going to keep pushing until justice is done."
The senator’s trip, while only the latest chapter in the ongoing legal saga, has elevated the case to international attention and brought renewed scrutiny to both U.S. and Salvadoran policies. As the debate continues to unfold, Abrego Garcia remains in a prison thousands of miles from home, caught at the center of a political battle with no clear end in sight.
