Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., stated he was blocked Thursday from coming into the El Salvador jail that’s holding the Maryland resident whom the courts say was erroneously deported from america final month.
Maryland Sen. Chris Van Hollen in a video posted to his YouTube account, April 17, 2025.
Senator Chris Van Hollen/YouTube
The Maryland senator, who flew to the country on Wednesday, shared a video on social media displaying guards stopping him and others from coming into CECOT, the place Kilmar Abrego Garcia is being held.
The Supreme Courtroom and a Maryland federal decide ordered that the U.S. authorities “facilitate” Abrego Garcia’s return to the U.S. after the Division of Justice stated in court docket filings that the 29-year-old father was wrongfully deported due to an “administrative error.” The Trump administration has alleged it can’t carry him again and claimed outdoors of court docket that Abrego Garcia is a member of the MS-13 gang.
Salvadoran troopers stand guard on the CECOT jail, in Tecoluca, El Salvador April 4, 2025.
Jose Cabezas/Reuters
Van Hollen was joined by Chris Newman, who he stated is the lawyer for Abrego Garcia’s spouse and mom, and stated they’re attempting to test on the deported man’s situation.
The video additionally confirmed Van Hollen and Newman chatting with jail guards, who had been visibly shaking their heads “no.”
“These troopers had been ordered to stop us from going any farther from this spot,” Van Hollen stated. “I perceive we’re about three kilometers now from CECOT, and as you possibly can see, they’re letting different vehicles go by, however they stopped us as a result of they’re beneath orders to not enable us to proceed to test on the well-being of Kilmar Abrego Garcia.”
Undated picture offered by CASA, an immigrant advocacy group, in April 2025, reveals Kilmar Abrego Garcia.
CASA through AP
Over the past couple of weeks, Republican members of Congress have gained entry to the jail and posted photos on their social media pages from contained in the complicated.
Van Hollen later advised reporters that he made his request to go to the jail to the U.S. Embassy, which then handed the request to El Salvador’s authorities.
The senator stated he additionally requested El Salvador’s vice chairman on Wednesday to go to the ability.
“I emphasised my objective was to test on his well being and well-being,” he stated..
The senator additionally stated the prisoner has had no contact with anybody outdoors of CECOT, which he stated is a violation of worldwide regulation.
“El Salvador is a celebration to the Worldwide Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. El Salvador has signed and ratified that covenant, and that covenant says, and I quote, ‘A detained or imprisoned individual shall be entitled to speak and seek the advice of along with his authorized counsel,'” Van Allen advised reporters.
The White Home slammed Van Hollen for making the journey and advocating for Abrego Garcia on Wednesday. The administration and the DOJ have claimed with little proof, that Abrego Garcia is a gang member.
The Justice Division has not charged Abrego Garcia with any gang-related crimes and his alleged MS-13 membership has been disputed in court docket.
A federal decide and the Supreme Courtroom ordered the federal government to take all obtainable steps to facilitate the return of Abrego Garcia to the U.S., and on Wednesday, the DOJ filed a discover that it’s interesting.
The 4th U.S. Circuit Courtroom of Appeals denied the Trump administration’s request on Thursday.
President Donald Trump weighed in on the scenario on Thursday and claimed he is not concerned.
“I used to be elected to do away with these criminals, to get them out of our depend,ry or to place them away, however to get them out of our nation. And I do not see how judges can take that authority away from a president,” he advised reporters.
