US senator denied entry into El Salvador prison to check on constituent mistakenly deported
'Nobody has had any communication' with Kilmar Abrego Garcia since he was illegally expelled last month from US, says Chris Van Hollen
HOUSTON, United States
US Sen. Chris Van Hollen was denied entry into an El Salvador prison Thursday to check on the well-being of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a constituent from Maryland who was illegally deported last month to his home country by the Trump administration.
In a social media video post, Van Hollen said he tried to visit Abrego Garcia, 29, at the Terrorist Confinement Center, also known as CECOT, but guards did not allow him to pass through the gates.
"We just tried to go visit him in prison, just to check on his conditions. Is he doing okay?" said Van Hollen. "Because nobody has any communication of him since he was illegally abducted from Maryland and sent to CECOT Prison in El Salvador, which ... a US District Court judge said was a violation of all his due process rights."
Van Hollen said he was allowed no further than 3 kilometers (1.86 miles) from the front gate.
"They stop us because they're under orders not to allow us to proceed to check on the well-being of Kilmar Abrego Garcia," said Van Hollen.
The senator met El Salvador's Vice President Felix Ulloa earlier Thursday and told reporters that the government does not have evidence that Abrego Garcia was involved in a gang. He added that Ulloa told him that Abrego Garcia is in prison because "the Trump administration is paying the government of El Slavador to keep him at CECOT."
While Van Hollen said Ulloa could not arrange a phone or video call with Abrego Garcia, he was told that the American Embassy might be able to help. Van Hollen noted he would not be the only US lawmaker going to El Salvador to advocate for Abrego Garcia's release.
"I can assure the president and vice president that I may be the first United States senator to visit El Salvador on this issue, but there will be more ... members of Congress coming," he said.
The White House, meanwhile, slammed Van Hollen's trip and doubled down on its stance that it had no plans to help with Abrego Garcia's return.
"If he ever ends up back in the United States, he would immediately be deported again," spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt said at a news conference."
"Nothing will change the fact that Abrego Garcia will never be a Maryland father, he will never live in the United States of America again," she added.
