US Senator Engages with Key Figure in El Salvador Deportation Controversy | World News
A U.S. senator recently met with a man who was wrongfully deported to El Salvador during Donald Trump’s administration.
The Democratic senator from Maryland, Chris Van Hollen, shared photos of his meeting with Kilmar Abrego Garcia, whose legal team is working to compel Mr. Trump’s administration to facilitate his return to the U.S.
He remarked, “Meeting Kilmar was the main objective of my trip. I was able to fulfill that tonight.”
“I reached out to his wife, Jennifer, to convey his loving message. I look forward to providing a comprehensive update upon my return.”
El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele also posted images from the meeting, adding an apparently sarcastic comment: “Kilmar Abrego Garcia, miraculously emerged from the ‘death camps’ & ‘torture,’ now enjoying margaritas with Sen. Van Hollen in the tropical paradise of El Salvador!”
The meeting took place shortly after Mr. Van Hollen reported that he was denied entry into a high-security prison in El Salvador while attempting to check on Mr. Garcia’s welfare and advocate for his release – an action that the White House deemed “appalling”.
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Mr. Garcia’s wife, Jennifer Vasquez Sura, expressed, “My children and my prayers have been answered.”
“The perseverance of my family and community in seeking justice is being acknowledged, as I now know that my husband is alive. God is listening, and our community stands united.”
“We still have numerous questions, hopes, and fears. I will continue to pray and fight for Kilmar’s safe return home.”
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Both Mr. Trump and Mr. Bukele stated earlier this week that they see no grounds for sending Abrego Garcia back to the U.S., despite the Trump administration describing his deportation as an “administrative error” and the U.S. Supreme Court urging for his return to be facilitated.
Officials from Mr. Trump’s administration have claimed that Mr. Garcia, a Salvadoran national residing in Maryland, has affiliations with the MS-13 gang.
His legal representatives insist that the government has provided no substantiating evidence, and he has never faced charges related to such activities.
In addition to Mr. Garcia, the Trump administration has deported hundreds of individuals, primarily Venezuelans, whom they allege to be gang members without presenting evidence or conducting trials.
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Mr. Garcia’s deportation has emerged as a contentious issue in the U.S., with Democrats portraying it as a harsh outcome of Mr. Trump’s dismissal of the judicial system, while Republicans have criticized Democrats for standing by him, arguing that his deportation forms part of a broader initiative to combat crime.