Senator Van Hollen Denied Access to Wrongfully Deported U.S. Constituent in El Salvador

San Salvador — U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) revealed on Wednesday that the government of El Salvador has denied his request to meet with Kilmar Ábrego García, a Maryland resident who was wrongfully deported to the country last month following an acknowledged administrative error by the Trump administration.

Senator Van Hollen traveled to El Salvador this week with the express intent of visiting Ábrego García, who is reportedly being held at the high-security Terrorism Confinement Center (CECOT) in Tecoluca. U.S. authorities have confirmed that Ábrego García, who had been granted protected status in 2019 by an immigration judge, was mistakenly deported under a directive carried out during the Trump administration.

Speaking at a press conference in San Salvador, Van Hollen stated that despite attempts to secure a meeting, he was informed by El Salvador’s Vice President, Félix Ulloa, that neither an in-person nor phone conversation with Ábrego García could be arranged. “I asked the vice-president if I could meet with Mr. Ábrego García. He told me I should have made earlier provisions to tour CECOT,” said Van Hollen. “I made it clear I wasn’t there for a tour—I came to speak with my constituent. He said he could not make that happen.”

Van Hollen further indicated that he offered to return next week, but Ulloa declined to commit to a future meeting. He also rejected a request to allow Ábrego García’s family to speak with him by phone, suggesting instead that the U.S. embassy file an official request.

The case has drawn significant attention in Washington, where Democrats have decried the deportation and criticized the Trump administration’s refusal to comply with a recent U.S. Supreme Court directive to “facilitate” Ábrego García’s return to the United States. The Court’s order came in light of the administration’s own admission that the deportation resulted from an administrative mistake.

“This is an unjust situation. The Trump administration is lying about Mr. Ábrego García,” said Van Hollen, noting that the Salvadoran national had been wrongfully identified as a member of the MS-13 gang. “We cannot allow this kind of injustice to stand.”

When pressed on whether El Salvador would release Ábrego García, Vice President Ulloa reportedly cited President Nayib Bukele’s earlier remarks, stating that his government would not “smuggle” the individual back into the United States.

The situation has sparked intense partisan rhetoric. In a statement released Wednesday, the White House accused Van Hollen of ignoring broader immigration concerns, claiming: “Where was his concern for Maryland constituents put at risk by the many other illegal immigrants allowed to roam free until now?”

Trump’s former acting ICE Director and current border advisor, Tom Homan, echoed that sentiment during an appearance on Fox News, stating, “Rather than caring for the victims of illegal crime in his own state, he’s running to El Salvador to protect an MS-13 terrorist. It’s just disgusting.”

Despite the criticism, Van Hollen remains resolute. “I may be the first United States Senator to visit El Salvador over this issue,” he said, “but I can assure the president and vice president—there will be more members of Congress coming.”

Representatives Adriano Espaillat, chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, along with Robert Garcia and Maxwell Alejandro Frost of the House Oversight Committee, have also expressed interest in visiting El Salvador to advocate for Ábrego García’s release.

“This is an unsustainable and unjust moment,” Van Hollen concluded. “And it cannot continue this way.”