Senator Chris Van Hollen reports Abrego Garcia expressed 'traumatic experiences' at CECOT, relocated to a different detention facility.
Updated Scenario:
Senator Chris Van Hollen recently met with Kilmar Abrego Garcia, the Maryland resident who was erroneously deported to El Salvador, describing the encounter as emotional for the Maryland man. Abrego Garcia shared his experiences at the infamous CECOT prison, expressing trauma and fear from the notorious facility.
"He was anxious about being around CECOT and certain prisoners in other cell blocks who harassed him," said Van Hollen, a Maryland Democrat, in a press conference at Dulles Airport following his return from El Salvador.
According to the senator, Abrego Garcia reported being transferred from the maximum-security prison to another detention center nine days ago. The new facility, located in Santa Ana, offers "improved conditions" compared to the previous, but specific details were not disclosed.
Van Hollen revealed that the Trump administration has pledged to compensate El Salvador with $15 million in exchange for detaining individuals like Abrego Garcia, $4 million of which has already been paid out.
The senator traveled to Central America this week to push for Abrego Garcia's release, successfully meeting with him on Thursday. Initially, he was denied access to the maximum-security prison. Abrego Garcia was wrongfully deported to El Salvador in March, sparking a fight against the Trump administration's hardline immigration policies.
Van Hollen emphasized that the Abrego Garcia case holds significance beyond just one person, stating, "This incident is not merely about one man; it's about safeguarding the constitutional rights of every American residing in the U.S."
Although Abrego Garcia hadn't legally resided in the U.S. prior to his deportation, a 2019 court order deemed him unallowable for return to El Salvador. The Trump administration conceded in court documents that Abrego Garcia's deportation was due to a clerical error.
Top officials within the Trump administration have argued that because Abrego Garcia is a Salvadoran national, he belongs in El Salvador. They also allege he is a member of MS-13, a claim controversially disputed by his attorneys.
"He's a Salvadoran citizen, he's residing in El Salvador, he's home," trump's border czar, Tom Homan, responded to a reporter on CNN's The Source.
Abrego Garcia's lawyers deny his affiliation with the MS-13 gang.
Donald Trump's administration has seized upon Van Hollen's visit to El Salvador as an opportunity to criticize Democrats who have questioned Abrego Garcia's incarceration.
"Senator Chris Van Hollen of Maryland looked like a fool yesterday standing in El Salvador begging for media attention or anyone. GRANDSTANDER!!!" Trump declared on Truth Social earlier this morning.
The White House also shared an image of Trump meeting with Patty Morin, whose daughter was murdered by an undocumented El Salvadorian immigrant in 2023, in contrast to Van Hollen's meeting with Abrego Garcia. Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele also stated on X, "Now that [Abrego Garcia] has been confirmed healthy, he gets the honor of staying in El Salvador's custody."
Miscellaneous: The Margarita Misunderstanding
Van Hollen addressed the Salvadoran President's post on X alleging that Abrego Garcia had been "sipping margaritas with Sen. Van Hollen in El Salvador's tropical paradise!"
Salvadoran government officials, according to the senator, had placed the glasses on the table, and neither man partook in the drinks. Van Hollen explained, "It looked like margaritas," but neither he nor Abrego Garcia touched the beverages.
This incident, as Van Hollen emphasized, serves as a lesson into the lengths President Bukele will go to deceive people about the situation. During the meeting, Abrego Garcia expressed missing his family, particularly his five-year-old son who has autism, and mentioned the loving support of friends and family as his motivation to persevere.
- Senator Chris Van Hollen met with Kilmar Abrego Garcia, expressing support for Abrego Garcia, a Maryland resident who was erroneously deported to El Salvador, as part of the ongoing fight against the Trump administration's hardline immigration policies.
- In a detention center in Santa Ana, El Salvador, Abrego Garcia shared his fears and traumatic experiences at the CECOT prison, especially concerning harassment from certain cell block prisoners.
- Donald Trump's administration has pledged to compensate El Salvador with $15 million for detaining individuals like Abrego Garcia, of which $4 million has already been paid out. This has triggered debates about policy-and-legislation, crime-and-justice, and general-news.
- Top officials within the Trump administration, including Tom Homan, argue that Abrego Garcia, a Salvadoran national, belongs in El Salvador and allege his affiliation with the MS-13 gang, a claim disputed by his attorneys.
- Amid accusations that Abrego Garcia had been sipping margaritas in El Salvador, Van Hollen clarified that the Salvadoran government placed the glasses on the table, and neither he nor Abrego Garcia touched the beverages. This incident highlights the controversy surrounding the politics of deportation and the lengths certain politicians might go to deceive the public.
