Sen. Chris Van Hollen of Maryland was the first Democrat to have traveled to El Salvador for a photo opportunity as part of his effort to secure the return of deported MS-13 gang member Kilmar Abrego Garcia to the United States. When he got there, his ‘hope’ was to secure the release of Abrego Garcia, a known member of the terrorist-designated gang, but he was summarily humiliated by El Salvadoran authorities who essentially told him to go pound sand.
“I just landed in San Salvador a little while ago, and I look forward to meeting with the team at the U.S. embassy to discuss the release of Mr. Abrego Garcia,” Van Hollen said. “I also hope to meet with Salvadoran officials and with Kilmar himself. He was illegally abducted and needs to come home.” But it wasn’t to be. He was informed that Abrego Garcia is a gang banger, is in custody, and will remain in custody because El Salvador is through coddling killers and terrorists.
I just landed in San Salvador a little while ago, and I look forward to meeting with the team at the U.S. embassy to discuss the release of Mr. Abrego Garcia.
I also hope to meet with Salvadoran officials and with Kilmar himself. He was illegally abducted and needs to come home. pic.twitter.com/MzKe7U8Wwr
— Senator Chris Van Hollen (@ChrisVanHollen) April 16, 2025
To be clear, Abrego Garcia is currently back in his home country of El Salvador, yet Van Hollen is attempting to bring him back across the U.S. border. Abrego Garcia, a Salvadoran national, was unlawfully residing in Maryland and was ordered removed by an immigration judge in 2019 due to alleged ties to the violent MS-13 gang. However, under the Biden administration, he was allowed to remain in the U.S.—a decision critics argue reflects broader Democratic policies that undermine national security.
Currently, Abrego Garcia is being held in his country’s infamous high-security CECOT prison facility, where he is likely to remain for the foreseeable future. Democrats — and only Democrats — are trying to secure his release by claiming the Trump administration is “ignoring” a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that “demanded” the president return Abrego Garcia. That’s not true; the high court only ordered the administration to “facilitate” the gang banger’s release, and the administration has tried that. El Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele is having none of it. So that’s it; case closed.
But it’s again worth noting that Democrats are fighting harder for a known member of a dangerous and murderous gang that has been designated a terrorist organization by President Trump than they are the victims of MS-13 violence and protecting the American citizens who elected them. The midterms are coming next year. Remember which party fights for us — that would be Republicans — and which party fights for illegal alien murderers, the Democrats.