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On Thursday, U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen revealed that he met Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a man who had been wrongly deported to El Salvador during the presidential administration of Donald Trump.
The Maryland Democrat shared a photo with Abrego Garcia on the social media site X, stating, “I said my main goal of this trip [to El Salvador] was to meet with Kilmar. Tonight I had that chance. I have called his wife, Jennifer, to pass along his message of love. I look forward to providing a full update upon my return.”
Upon his arrival in El Salvador on Wednesday, Senator Van Hollen faced challenges in accessing Abrego Garcia, who has been incarcerated in a prison notorious for housing gang members. Initial attempts to meet with him were thwarted when El Salvador’s Vice President Felix Ulloa informed Van Hollen that he could not authorize a meeting or any form of communication with Abrego Garcia.
This lack of communication raised questions about what factors ultimately permitted the senator to gain access to Abrego Garcia later on. Even as discussions continued, both Trump and El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele asserted that there was no justification for sending Abrego Garcia back, despite Trump’s administration labeling his deportation as a mistake. The U.S. Supreme Court has urged the administration to facilitate his return.
While Trump officials have alleged that Abrego Garcia, a resident of Maryland from El Salvador, has connections to the MS-13 gang, his legal representatives counter that the government has furnished no supporting evidence and that Abrego Garcia has never been charged with any related offenses.
Senator Van Hollen’s visit has ignited considerable political discourse in the United States. Democrats have highlighted Abrego Garcia’s deportation as indicative of a broader pattern of neglect by the Trump administration regarding judicial rulings. Conversely, Republicans have criticized Democratic support for Abrego Garcia, framing his deportation as part of a strategic initiative to combat crime.
Source
www.cbc.ca