Senator Chris Van Hollen, D-MD., Said Sunday that his journey recently to El Salvador was not about defending Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Maryland citizen who was deported despite a court order, but about defending the constitution.
“I did not defend the man. I defended the rights of this man for the legal process,” Van Hollen told ABC News “this week” Jonathan Karl on Sunday. “And Trump’s government has recognized in court that he was detained wrongly and deported wrongly. My mission and goal is to ensure that we uphold the rule of law, because if we take it from it, we endanger it for others.”
Van Hollen traveled to El Salvador last week to look for answers about the detention and safety of Abrego Garcia, which was deported in March to Cecot prison which was famous for being cruel in the country, although the 2019 court orders forbade their transfer due to safe fear. Trump’s government accused him of being affiliated with the MS-13 gang-allegations of his lawyer and his family firmly denied.
Abrego Garcia, who fled the threat of gangs in El Salvador in 2011, married a US citizen and was the father of a 5 -year -old son with autism. He was arrested by ICE in Maryland on March 12, moved to the Texas detention center, and then deported – something that was later called administrative as “administrative error.” He remained under the last order of the transfer.
Senator Chris Van Hollen spoke with ABC News when it appeared in ‘This Week’ April 20, 2025.
ABC News
“I think, at a certain point, President El Salvador realizes that it looks very bad to have this person who has fled from the streets of Maryland in one of their prisons and cannot communicate,” said Van Hollen. “So I finally got a call that said, ‘We will take him to your hotel,’ and that’s the way we meet.” Initially refused access to Cecot, Van Hollen had prepared to leave the country when he was told that Abrego Garcia would be brought to him.
Karl asked Senator what was shared by Abrego Garcia during their meeting.
“He told me about the trauma he had experienced, both in terms of kidnapping and the fact that he was originally sent to Cecot, which is a famous prison,” said Van Hollen. “He specifically mentioned his 5 -year -old boy who suffered from autism, because the boy was in the car with him when the US agent had stopped them and handcuffed him and then took him away.”
Van Hollen also criticized the role of President El Salvador Nayib Bikele, said that his government was “involved in this illegal scheme with the Trump government,” and called it a violation of international law to prevent communication with a prisoner.
“The family did not hear the news from him. Nobody had contact for weeks,” said Van Hollen. “This is a man who was just kidnapped from the streets of Maryland, put into several airplanes, did not know he would go to El Salvador, and ended in the most famous prison.”
Senator also discussed questions about optics after Salvador’s authority reportedly tried to hold a meeting at the Hotel Swimming Pool.
“They actually want to hold a meeting at the edge of the hotel pool,” said Van Hollen. “They want to put me correctly ignore the pool. You are very true that the authorities Salvador tried to deceive people. They tried to make it look like in heaven.”
Karl asks if Van Hollen has been walking into the trap.
“That’s not a trap. My goal is to meet him and make sure I can tell his wife and family that he is fine. That is my goal, and I achieve that goal,” said the senator.
Van Hollen also considered a broader implication for the president’s power.
“This is a person determined by the United States court illegally taken from the United States,” he said. “And all my goals here are to ensure that we observe the rule of law, constitutions, legal processes, rights … it only shows the length that Bukele and Trump will try to deceive people about what is meant by this case, and only comply with the Supreme Court’s orders to facilitate the return and ensure it gets the legal process.” “”
From Trump’s administration, Van Hollen said: “This is where they must put the facts: they must put it in front of the court. They must install or shut up in the court, because the District Court judge in this case said, and I quoted, ‘They did not put evidence that connects Abrego Garcia to MS-13 or to other terrorist activities.’ ‘”
Regarding the criticism of the Republican party that Democrats defended gang members, Van Hollen pushed back by force.
“The idea that you cannot defend the rights of people under the constitution and against MS-13 and gang violence is a very dangerous idea. That is the idea that the President wants to issue. That is why they spread all these lies.” Said Van Hollen. “I will say that anyone who is not ready to defend the constitutional rights of one person when they threaten the constitutional rights of all that do not deserve to lead.”