US Senator Meets Wrongly Deported Man in El Salvador

US Senator Chris Van Hollen met with Kilmar Ábrego García, a Maryland resident who was mistakenly deported to El Salvador by the Trump administration. Ábrego García was sent to a maximum-security prison, Cecot, despite having legal protection from deportation. The White House has accused him of being a member of the MS-13 gang, which his lawyers deny. A federal court has ruled against the Trump administration, stating they are asserting a "right to stash away residents of this country in foreign prisons without due process." The Supreme Court has ordered the US government to facilitate Ábrego García's return, but El Salvador's President Nayib Bukele said he will remain in custody.

Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a 29-year-old from El Salvador, was deported from the US in March despite US courts ruling that his deportation was in error. The White House accused him of being an MS-13 gang member, which he denies. According to court documents, Abrego Garcia was detained in 2019 with three others in Maryland and identified as an MS-13 member by police due to his clothing, including a Chicago Bulls hat. However, experts say wearing such clothing is not conclusive evidence of gang membership. Abrego Garcia has not been convicted of any crime related to MS-13 or other allegations, including a 2021 domestic violence incident and a 2022 human trafficking allegation. His lawyers argue that the evidence against him is hearsay, and he was granted a "withholding of removal" order due to a fear of persecution by MS-13's rival gang, Barrio-18.

Maryland Senator Chris Van Hollen met with Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Maryland man mistakenly deported to El Salvador, at a restaurant in the country. Abrego Garcia was deported in March despite a court order barring his deportation due to potential gang persecution. The Trump administration admitted the deportation was an "administrative error" and a court ordered his return, but he remains in El Salvador. Van Hollen's meeting with Abrego Garcia came after he was turned away at a military checkpoint near the notorious CECOT prison where Abrego Garcia was being held. Abrego Garcia's wife expressed relief at the meeting but said she still has "questions, hopes, and fears" about her husband's situation.

Maryland Senator Chris Van Hollen was denied a meeting or phone call with Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Maryland man mistakenly deported to El Salvador. Van Hollen met with El Salvador's Vice President Félix Ulloa, who indicated he couldn't promise a meeting with Abrego Garcia. Abrego Garcia was deported despite having a "withholding of removal" order from an immigration judge, and the Trump administration has falsely claimed he is a member of MS-13. A federal judge and the Supreme Court have ordered the government to return Abrego Garcia to the US, but he remains in a Salvadoran supermax prison. Van Hollen questioned why El Salvador is holding Abrego Garcia, and Ulloa suggested that the US Embassy handle the request, stating that the country can't "smuggle" Abrego Garcia back into the US, with Van Hollen also being told that the Trump administration is paying El Salvador to keep him at the prison.

The Trump government is pursuing a policy at the cost of destroying Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a man who moved to the US illegally at 16 after gang threats in El Salvador, was detained, and had a complex asylum case. Despite an immigration judge ruling he had a well-founded fear of persecution and couldn't be deported, his case highlights the slow and frustrating nature of US law.

US Senator Chris Van Hollen met with Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a man wrongly deported to El Salvador by the Trump administration. Garcia's attorneys are fighting for his return to the US, where he was living in Maryland. The Trump administration claimed Garcia had ties to the MS-13 gang, but his attorneys say there's no evidence. The case has become a flashpoint in the US, with Democrats criticizing the deportation as a consequence of Trump's disregard for the courts. Both Trump and El Salvador's President Nayib Bukele have said they won't send Garcia back to the US, despite the US Supreme Court calling for his return.

The White House has criticized Democratic Senator Chris Van Hollen's trip to El Salvador to secure the return of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a man wrongly deported by the Trump administration despite a court order preventing his removal. The administration acknowledged the deportation was an "administrative error" but claims Garcia has ties to the MS-13 gang. A US federal judge has warned that the administration could be held in contempt for violating his orders to stop deportations, and has given the government a deadline to comply. The White House has vowed to seek "immediate appellate relief" in response to the judge's warning.

A shooting at Florida State University left two people dead and six injured, with a 20-year-old man, Phoenix Ikner, taken into custody. President Trump is criticizing the Federal Reserve for not cutting interest rates, despite his tariffs contributing to higher prices. Meanwhile, US Senator Chris Van Hollen met with Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Maryland man who was mistakenly deported to El Salvador. The White House insists Abrego Garcia will not return to the US, despite a federal judge's order. Additionally, Sudan's civil war has entered its third year, with tens of thousands killed and hundreds of thousands suffering from famine.

Alleged MS-13 gang member Kilmar Abrego Garcia was seen "sipping margaritas" with Sen. Chris Van Hollen amid a high-profile deportation battle. El Salvador President Nayib Bukele shared photos of the two meeting, sparking outrage from the mother of Rachel Morin, a Maryland woman murdered by a different Salvadoran immigrant. Van Hollen traveled to El Salvador to push for Abrego Garcia's release, prompting criticism from the White House, which accused him of prioritizing the welfare of an "illegal alien MS-13 terrorist." Abrego Garcia was deported to El Salvador's CECOT prison last month under the Alien Enemies Act, despite never being charged with a crime and denying gang allegations. US Attorney General Pam Bondi released documents showing Abrego Garcia was an active MS-13 member in 2019, holding the rank of "Chequeo" and the street name "Chele." His wife, Jennifer Vasquez Sura, argued that his alleged domestic abuse is not justification for his deportation.

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A federal appeals court in Virginia rebuked the Trump administration for its handling of the case of Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia, a Maryland man who was mistakenly deported to El Salvador despite a court order forbidding it. The court, led by conservative Judge J. Harvie Wilkinson III, criticized the administration for its disregard of due process and its failure to actively work towards Abrego Garcia's release from a foreign prison. The opinion also lamented recent attacks by President Trump and his allies on the federal courts, emphasizing the importance of mutual respect between the executive and judicial branches.

Vice President JD Vance met with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and expressed optimism about ending the Ukraine war, while Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the US might abandon peace efforts if no progress is made in days. President Trump responded to a Florida university shooting by stating it was a "shame" but showed no willingness to change gun laws, reaffirming his commitment to protecting the Second Amendment. The Justice Department accused a federal judge of overstepping his authority in a contempt inquiry related to the deportation of migrants to El Salvador. Rubio's comments on Ukraine put pressure on both sides to end the war, with the Kremlin signaling no hurry for a cease-fire.

The Trump administration is facing several court challenges to its immigration policies, potentially leading to a constitutional clash with the judiciary branch. Key cases include a challenge to Trump's executive order ending birthright citizenship, which the Supreme Court will hear on May 15. Other cases involve the administration's use of the Alien Enemies Act to deport Venezuelan immigrants accused of gang membership, and the mistaken deportation of a Maryland man, Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia, to a Salvadoran prison. Federal judges have issued rulings countering Trump's executive orders and demanding due process for those being deported, but the administration has resisted complying with these orders.

Maryland Senator Chris Van Hollen met with Kilmar Ábrego García, a Salvadoran man wrongly deported from the US, in El Salvador. Van Hollen posted a photo of the meeting on social media but did not provide an update on Ábrego García's status. Ábrego García's attorneys are fighting to force the Trump administration to facilitate his return to the US, despite the administration calling his deportation a mistake and the US Supreme Court calling for his return. El Salvador's President Nayib Bukele had previously mocked Ábrego García's situation, and Van Hollen was denied entry to the high-security prison where Ábrego García is being held. The meeting has become a partisan flashpoint in the US, with Democrats defending Ábrego García and Republicans arguing his deportation is part of an effort to reduce crime.