Van Hollen Acknowledges Taxpayer Funding for El Salvador Trip, Sidesteps Queries Regarding Abrego Garcia’s Links to MS-13 – One America News Network
OAN Staff Brooke Mallory
5:42 PM – Monday, April 21, 2025
Democratic Senator Chris Van Hollen acknowledged on Sunday that taxpayer money funded his trip to El Salvador, which aimed at assisting Kilmar Abrego Garcia in securing his release. Garcia, a Salvadoran illegal immigrant, was deported from the U.S. after being classified as an MS-13 member by the Department of Justice.
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During a Sunday interview with Shannon Bream on Fox News, Van Hollen (D-Md.) made this revelation.
He confirmed that the trip was “officially cleared, you know, [as a] Congressional trip” when Bream asked about the sources of funding for airfare, meals, and other expenses incurred.
“So taxpayer dollars?” Bream inquired, confirming a suspicion that many had but lacked evidence for.
“Yes, like every other trip,” Van Hollen responded.
Van Hollen further defended the use of public funds for this trip by claiming that he was upholding the constitutional right to due process, rather than showing support for one particular illegal alien.
On April 15th, the Democratic senator incorrectly stated that Abrego Garcia was an “American citizen” and expressed his commitment to defend his “constituent.” Shortly thereafter, Van Hollen’s team indicated that he had mistakenly “misspoke.”
He cited a ruling from U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis, who has been criticized as an “activist judge” for her efforts to reinstate an illegal immigrant with a known violent past, as evidenced by a previous domestic violence restraining order filed by his wife.
Reports indicate that Vazquez Sura, his spouse, had alleged that he assaulted her multiple times in 2020, including a November incident where he kicked her. Court filings suggested that Abrego Garcia’s violence resulted in a “purple eye” for her.
Furthermore, the judge made her comments before the Department of Justice (DOJ) had disclosed their findings on the deported individual.
Van Hollen also avoided direct questions on Sunday about the DOJ’s allegations regarding Kilmar Abrego Garcia’s MS-13 affiliations.
Despite CNN’s Dana Bash asking him directly whether he could say “with absolute certainty” that Abrego Garcia was not affiliated with the violent gang, Van Hollen could not deny Abrego Garcia’s connection to MS-13, admitting he hadn’t inquired about the gang affiliation during their conversation.
In a surprising turn, Van Hollen quickly transitioned from discussing MS-13 ties to accusing President Trump of attempting to divert attention from due process issues.
“What Donald Trump is trying to do here is change the subject,” Van Hollen told CNN’s “State of the Union” on Sunday when Bash inquired about Abrego Garcia’s connections to the gang. “They are trying to litigate on social media what they should be doing in the courts.”
Publicly, the Trump administration has referenced a 2019 police report stating that Abrego Garcia was an active MS-13 member at the time of his arrest, with two immigration judges previously denying bond to the Salvadoran individual, asserting, “the evidence shows that he is a verified member of MS-13.”
However, Van Hollen seems to dismiss these developments, preferring to fabricate claims and criticize the GOP administration while inflaming sentiments among social advocacy groups and immigration supporters in the U.S.
“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 is part of MS-13,” Van Hollen stated to reporters in El Salvador last week.
Congressional CODEL tours, or formal overseas congressional visits, require leadership approval and coordination with foreign affairs committees. Senators must document any gifts or expenses and comply with ethical standards. Typically, travel funding is supplied by the government through the State Department, Department of Defense (DOD), or Congress.
Last week, in a letter to House Oversight Chairman Rep. James Comer, Democratic leaders, including Maxwell Frost of Florida and Robert Garcia of California, sought authorization for another taxpayer-supported trip to El Salvador, noting the Senate had already sanctioned CODEL travel to CECOT.
“If you also wish to meet with him, you can spend your own money. But I will not approve a single dime of taxpayer funds for use on the excursion you have requested,” he responded back.
Despite Comer’s rejection, four Democratic lawmakers—including Reps. Garcia and Frost, alongside Democrats Yassamin Ansari from Arizona and Maxine Dexter from Oregon—traveled to El Salvador on Monday to advocate for Abrego Garcia’s return to the U.S.
The Trump administration, along with politicians from both parties, has criticized the use of taxpayer-funded trips by Democrats to support foreign non-citizens, stating that priorities should focus on American households and community safety.
“Look, can the Democrats travel to El Salvador if they want, and is that part, reasonably, of their work? Yes, but what they’re doing is traveling there in order to highlight, ‘We want to bring this illegal immigrant whom two courts have found as an MS-13 member, back to America,’” Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas) remarked on his podcast “Verdict” on April 16th. “That’s astonishingly bad policy, and I think astonishingly bad politics,” he continued.
Abrego Garcia has consistently claimed that he would face danger from Barrio 18, a rival gang to MS-13, if he returned to El Salvador. Documents that have recently surfaced indicate that he held the title “Chequeo” and utilized the street name “Chele” within MS-13.
The Salvadoran illegal immigrant was apprehended in 2019 alongside two prominent MS-13 members recognized by a confidential informant, as per court documents and a DOJ Gang Field Interview Sheet. He was subsequently classified as a “verified member” of the gang and labeled a public safety risk by the aforementioned immigration judges.
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