El Salvador Blocks U.S. Senator’s Attempt to Meet Deported Migrant at Megaprison

El Salvador Denies U.S. Senator's Request to Visit Deported Migrant Held in Megaprison

Van Hollen’s Bid to Free Kilmar Abrego García Highlights Growing Tensions Over Trump-Era Deportations

The government of El Salvador on Wednesday refused to allow U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) to meet with Kilmar Abrego García, a Maryland resident whose controversial deportation has become a flashpoint in the debate over the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement policies.

Abrego García, who fled El Salvador more than a decade ago, was mistakenly deported by U.S. immigration authorities last month in violation of a judge’s order. He is now imprisoned without charges at CECOT, El Salvador’s high-security “megaprison” built for detaining gang members.

Van Hollen flew to El Salvador this week in an effort to meet with Abrego García and push for his release. However, he said Vice President Félix Ulloa and other Salvadoran officials denied all requests for access to the prisoner.

“I’m simply asking them to open the door of CECOT and let this innocent man walk out,” Van Hollen told reporters. “I’m not asking to smuggle him back into the United States.”

Supreme Court Orders Return, White House Resists

Last week, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the federal government must “facilitate” Abrego García’s return to the United States. The Trump administration has acknowledged the deportation was a mistake, as it was carried out in violation of a court order, but has so far failed to act on the ruling.

U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis said the administration had defied “a clear Supreme Court order” and initiated an inquiry into whether officials complied with her directives. The case has drawn condemnation from Democrats, who accuse the administration of creating a constitutional crisis by ignoring the judiciary.

“President Trump and our attorney general, Pam Bondi, are lying when they say that Abrego García is part of MS-13,” Van Hollen said from San Salvador.

Disputed Gang Affiliation

The Trump administration insists that Abrego García is affiliated with MS-13, a designation that has triggered his classification under federal anti-terrorism guidelines. However, multiple court rulings have challenged this assertion.

While Immigration and Customs Enforcement cited a “Gang Field Interview Sheet” and one 2019 ruling in support of the claim, other court findings determined that Abrego García and his family were victims—not members—of gang activity. Judges noted that his family had been extorted by MS-13, and that gang members had attempted to recruit him and his brother.

Despite these rulings, the White House has continued to frame him as a threat. Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said Wednesday that if Abrego García returned, “he would immediately be deported again.”

Political Fallout and Divided Responses

Van Hollen’s high-profile trip drew harsh criticism from Republicans. Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas) accused Democrats of “trying to bring terrorists and murderers back into the U.S.” during his podcast, while the White House organized a press event featuring Patty Morin, the mother of a Maryland woman murdered by a Salvadoran fugitive.

“Why does that person have more right than I do or my daughter or my grandchildren?” Morin asked, criticizing Van Hollen for using taxpayer funds to advocate for a non-citizen.

Democrats have framed the issue as a constitutional and humanitarian crisis. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and Senator Ron Wyden have both called for Abrego García’s immediate return, with Wyden accusing the administration of testing how far it can push executive power.

“This is the time to get angry and get loud,” Wyden wrote on X.

Wider Congressional Attention

Van Hollen may be the first U.S. senator to travel to El Salvador over the issue, but several members of Congress have expressed interest in visiting. Reps. Robert Garcia (D-Calif.) and Maxwell Frost (D-Fla.) said they plan to join a congressional delegation to inspect conditions at CECOT.

Meanwhile, Reps. Jason Smith (R-Mo.) and Riley Moore (R-W.Va.) recently toured the facility in support of Trump’s deportation policies. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem also visited the megaprison last month, praising El Salvador's approach to security and detention.

Van Hollen said he met with U.S. Embassy officials and held direct talks with Vice President Ulloa, who stated that Abrego García would not be released. Ulloa reiterated remarks made by President Nayib Bukele during a recent White House visit, in which Bukele told Trump that El Salvador would not “smuggle” deportees back into the United States.

A Legal and Humanitarian Test Case

The case of Kilmar Abrego García has become symbolic of deeper concerns over U.S. immigration enforcement, judicial compliance, and the use of international detention centers. Rights groups warn that El Salvador’s CECOT—infamous for mass incarceration and harsh conditions—is being used to detain individuals without trial or evidence of criminal conduct.

The outcome of this case may determine the precedent for how the U.S. handles mistaken deportations under executive immigration crackdowns, especially amid a broader debate over due process and federal authority.

“There will be more members of Congress coming,” Van Hollen warned. “This is not over.”

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