Four congressional Democrats traveled to El Salvador to demand the return of Kilmar Abrego Garcia to the United States. The Congress members will meet with U.S. embassy officials to advocate for Abrego Garcia's release.
Reps. Yassamin Ansari of Arizona, Maxine Dexter of Oregon, Maxwell Frost of Florida, and Robert Garcia of California all made the trip to El Salvador.
The lawmakers followed Maryland Sen. Chris Van Hollen, who also made a trip to San Salvador last week in an effort to secure his release.
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The Trump administration has yet to facilitate Abrego Garcia's return, despite a Supreme Court order to do so. Officials had said that Abrego Garcia was deported to El Salvador despite a 2019 court order preventing his return to his home country.
"As the federal courts have said, we need to bring Mr. Abrego Garcia home to protect his constitutional rights to due process," Van Hollen said. "This case is not just about one man. It's about protecting the constitutional rights of everybody who resides in the United States."
On Friday, the Department of Homeland Security released information that it says suggests Abrego Garcia may have been involved in human trafficking. The report also alleges that Abrego Garcia was a member of the MS-13 gang. Van Hollen said on Friday that the Trump administration's claims about Abrego Garcia's alleged gang affiliations should be made in court on record.
"In other words, put up in court or shut up," he said.
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Frost said it is Congress's job to hold the Trump administration accountable.
“Donald Trump and his Administration are running a government-funded kidnapping program—illegally arresting, jailing, and deporting innocent people with no due process. Kilmar Abrego Garcia is Trump’s latest victim,” said Frost. “As Members of Congress, it is our responsibility to hold the President and Administration accountable for defying the Constitution of the United States. Donald Trump and ICE are not above the law. Today it’s Kilmar Abrego Garcia, but tomorrow it could be anyone else. We cannot and will not let Donald Trump get away with this."
