The Salvadoran authorities on Wednesday rebuffed Sen. Chris Van Hollen’s (D-Md.) request to satisfy or converse with a wrongfully deported Maryland man, the senator mentioned, accusing the Trump administration and others of mendacity about Kilmar Abrego Garcia’s gang ties.
Van Hollen mentioned Salvadoran Vice President Félix Ulloa instructed him the federal government had no data connecting Abrego Garcia to MS-13 however couldn’t accommodate a go to to the infamous CECOT jail, identified by its acronym in Spanish.
“If the government of El Salvador has no evidence that he was part of MS-13, why is El Salvador continuing to hold him in CECOT?” Van Hollen requested.
“And his answer was that the Trump administration is paying the government of El Salvador to keep him at CECOT.”
The fiery press convention was in some ways a rebuttal to quite a few Trump administration claims, with Van Hollen instantly pleading for Abrego Garcia’s launch and accusing the Trump administration of violating a Supreme Courtroom order by failing to do something to facilitate his return.
Van Hollen left for El Salvador round 6 a.m. EDT Wednesday after saying he would journey to the nation if Abrego Garcia was not returned by midweek.
Ulloa instructed Van Hollen he would want extra time to rearrange a go to to CECOT and mentioned even a telephone name with the senator or along with his household again in Maryland could not be organized swiftly, saying the request would want to return from the embassy, Van Hollen mentioned.
Van Hollen additionally requested if he may meet with Abrego Garcia subsequent week if he returned to El Salvador, however indicated that was unlikely.
“I asked if I came back next week whether I’d be able to see Mr. Abrego Garcia. He said he couldn’t promise that either,” he continued.
That rejection comes weeks after Homeland Safety Secretary Kristi Noem was capable of go to CECOT throughout a go to to the nation, filming a video contained in the jail to warn migrants to not come to the U.S.
Van Hollen mentioned embassy employees members knowledgeable him that they’ve acquired no directive from the Trump administration to make outreach on Abrego Garcia’s behalf regardless of a Supreme Courtroom order to “facilitate” his return.
“In fact, the United States Embassy here has told me they’ve received no direction from the Trump administration to help facilitate his release. So the Trump administration is clearly in violation of American court orders,” he mentioned.
Van Hollen additionally accused the Trump administration of mendacity about Abrego Garcia’s background.
“I want to emphasize that President Trump and our Attorney General Pam Bondi and the vice president of the United States are lying when they say that Abrego Garcia has been charged with a crime or was part of MS-13. That is a lie,” he mentioned.
“This is a lie to cover up what they did.”
Van Hollen famous that an immigration choose barred Abrego Garcia from being deported to El Salvador, given credible claims he could be focused by gang violence. His household fled El Salvador when one other gang, Barrio 18, repeatedly focused their pupusa enterprise for cash. Van Hollen famous that the safety from elimination was issued in 2019, beneath the primary Trump administration, and that prosecutors on the time declined to attraction that call.
“The Trump administration needs to obey the law, but I’m also asking the government of El Salvador, and the president and vice president of El Salvador, not to keep a man who was illegally abducted from the United States and charged with no crime to remain in CECOT when, as a sovereign country, they have the power to let him go and let him go now.”
The go to got here days after Van Hollen indicated he would journey to the Central American nation if he was unable to satisfy and converse with Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele throughout his go to to the U.S. earlier this week. The 2 didn’t meet.
Van Hollen additionally famous he met with the Ulloa as Bukele was overseas.
Van Hollen’s play-by-play of the dialog indicated he made a number of efforts to rearrange contact with Abrego Garcia, both himself or the household, however was repeatedly instructed no.
“I also told his wife and family that I would try to meet with Mr. Abrego Garcia while I was here. … I asked the vice president if he could meet with Mr. Abrego Garcia … and he said, ‘Well you have to make earlier provisions to go visit CECOT,’” Van Hollen mentioned. “I said I’m not interested at this moment in taking a tour of CECOT. I just want to meet with Mr. Abrego Garcia. He said he was not able to make that happen. He said he needed a little bit more time.”
“I asked him if I could get on the phone — either a video phone or just a phone — and talk with Mr. Abrego Garcia … so I could just ask him how he’s doing so I could report back to his family. He said he could not arrange that,” the Maryland Democrat mentioned. “He said maybe if the American Embassy could ask, maybe that could happen.”
When requested if he acquired any details about the well being standing of Abrego Garcia, the Democratic senator mentioned he didn’t.
“This is why I wanted to see him,” he added.
Van Hollen mentioned he would proceed to press for Abrego Garcia’s launch and famous there was curiosity from different lawmakers in visiting the nation.
“I will keep pressing in my remaining time here, and I will keep pressing beyond that, if necessary,” he mentioned.
“I may be the first United States senator to visit El Salvador on this issue, but there will be more, and there will be more members of Congress coming.”
