American legislators tour El Salvador
U.S. Lawmakers Crank Up the Heat in El Salvador Over Deportation Gaffe
A posse of U.S. democratic bigwigs touched down in El Salvador on Monday, gunning for the return of Salvadoran immigrant Kilmar Abrego Garcia. The dude's supposedly been holed up there since getting booted out of the States due to a mix-up in deportation proceedings.
Last week, Senator Chris Van Hollen had made the same journey, securing a sit-down with Mr. Abrego Garcia. This 29-year-old family man had decamped for the U.S. as a teen to flee Salvadoran street gangs, only to fall prey to the States' hardline immigration policies under Trump.
"Fighting for Kilmar, exposing Trump's anti-immigrant absurdities," tweeted Yassamin Ansari, a rep from Arizona, flaunting the Dems' resolve. Ansari was accompanied by lawmakers Robert Garcia, Maxwell Frost, and Maxine Dexter, who demanded Mr. Abrego Garcia be allowed legal representation and confirmed his well-being.
Frost blasted Trump's tactics via Twitter, labeling them arbitrary and brutal--all without due process. The Salvadoran government allegedly denied a request from American officials to visit Mr. Abrego Garcia, infuriating the lawmakers even further.
"Unacceptable. We need to hold the administration accountable for these unlawful acts and free Kilmar ASAP," Frost growled. Cries to "release Kilmar immediately" echoed through social media, with the Dems fearing past injustices will be repeated on future victims of the anti-immigrant crusade.
Kilmar Abrego Garcia told Senator Van Hollen of his initial confinement at the Center for the Confinement of Terrorism (Cecot), a mega-prison rife with alleged gang suspects. But, after the uproar sparked by Sen Van Hollen's intervention, he was transferred to another jail in El Salvador.
The Trump administration copped to the deportation mess-up, owning up to an "administrative error." Nevertheless, the U.S. Supreme Court mandated that the government assist in Mr. Abrego Garcia's return. Washington argues, however, that the papa can't be repatriated because Salvadoran authorities detain him.
During a recent powwow at the White House, Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele stated he lacked the authority to send Abrego Garcia back across the border.
The Legal and Political Quagmire
The Abrego debacle is festering with a messy web of legal and administrative snags that have been dragging out his repatriation.
- Questionable gang links: The Trump administration suspects Abrego Garcia's involvement with the MS-13 gang, despite his spotless U.S. criminal record and his legal team's denial of these allegations.
- Alien error: ICE confessed that a clerical error doomed Abrego Garcia to El Salvador's CECOT mega-prison in March 2025, in direct violation of a 2019 court order shielding him from deportation to El Salvador.
- Neglecting court orders: Judge Paula Xinis (Maryland) ordered the administration to "facilitate and secure" his return by April 7, 2025. However, the Justice Department appealed, causing further delay. The Supreme Court then requested that the administration "facilitate" his return, but as of April 11, 2025, Xinis declared the administration had done jack-all to carry out the order.
- The Abrego debacle continues to puzzle the political realm due to its intricate web of legal and administrative complexities, such as questionable gang links and an alien error that led to his unlawful detainment.
- Despite Abrego Garcia's clean criminal record in the US and his legal team's denial of any gang involvement, the Trump administration is still suspicious, crafting a barrier for his return.
- A 2019 court order for Abrego Garcia's protection from deportation to El Salvador was blatantly violated in March 2025 when an administrative error sent him to the CECOT mega-prison.
- Frustratingly, the administration's delay in executing Judge Paula Xinis' order to facilitate Abrego Garcia's return has ignited a flurry of demands, with many, including U.S. lawmakers, crying out for his immediate release, sure that his plight sets a dangerous precedent for future victims of the anti-immigrant crusade.
