Press Article
Senator Van Hollen Calls on Trump to Return Deported Maryland Resident
Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) made an urgent appeal to President Trump on Tuesday, requesting the return of Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia, a Salvadoran national and Maryland resident who was mistakenly deported last month and is currently imprisoned in El Salvador. In a pointed letter, Van Hollen accused Trump of “gross violations of the Constitution and due process rights,” emphasizing that the deportation was an “administrative error” acknowledged by Justice Department lawyers.
Van Hollen’s visit to El Salvador last week allowed him to meet briefly with Garcia, who had been temporarily released from a Salvadoran detention center. The senator highlighted discussions with Salvadoran Vice President Félix Ulloa, which revealed the lack of legal grounds for Garcia’s imprisonment, arguing that it was rooted in a financial agreement with the Trump administration to detain deportees.
“The Trump administration’s whole argument is a sham,” Van Hollen stated in an interview, reflecting on the El Salvador government’s insistence that it could release Garcia if requested by the U.S. administration. The senator pointed out that by revoking any contractual obligation, the U.S. could enable Garcia’s return.
However, Trump’s administration, through Attorney General Pam Bondi, has dismissed the possibility of Garcia’s return, declaring that President Bukele of El Salvador has made it clear that Garcia will not be sent back. Bondi confirmed this stance at a recent Justice Department press conference, stating, “He is not coming back to our country.”
Van Hollen warned that Garcia’s case raises broader concerns about due process rights for all Americans. He asserted, “If your administration can strip away the constitutional rights of one man in defiance of court orders, it can do it to all of us.”
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