Democratic lawmakers plan trip to El Salvador to advocate for Kilmar Abrego Garcia’s release

Democratic lawmakers are organizing a trip to El Salvador to help free Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia, a Maryland man who was accidentally deported to El Salvador. This move comes after a long dispute over Abrego Garcia’s deportation, the legal fights that followed, and the refusal of both the Trump administration and El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele to help bring him back to the U.S.

Abrego Garcia was accused by the U.S. government of being part of the MS-13 gang. He was deported in 2019, breaking an immigration judge’s order that said he should not be sent to El Salvador because he could face persecution or torture there. Even the Justice Department later admitted this deportation was a mistake, which led to a legal battle.

Frustrated by the lack of progress, Democratic lawmakers are now taking action, per NBC. Senator Chris Van Hollen reached out to El Salvador’s ambassador, asking for a meeting with President Bukele. If nothing changes by mid-week, Senator Van Hollen plans to fly to El Salvador himself.

Related: ‘I’m not going to do it’: El Salvador’s wannabe strongman president clings to his pathetic pride while an innocent man rots in prison

Senators are going to El Salvador to bring back wrongfully deported man

Senator Hollen will be joined by other Democratic representatives, including Representative Ritchie Torres, who introduced the RESCUE Act. This Act is a bill that would force the U.S. government to take action if a foreign country ignores court orders to return wrongfully deported people. The RESCUE Act could lead to punishments like cutting off diplomatic ties, stopping foreign aid, canceling agreements, or denying visas to officials from the country involved.

Representatives like Maxwell Frost and Yassamin Ansari have also said they’re willing to go to El Salvador. Illinois Governor JB Pritzker has also spoken out, criticizing the Trump administration for ignoring the Supreme Court’s ruling. He warned that if nothing is done, the same thing could happen to others in the future.

Some Democratic lawmakers have called the administration’s actions “lawless.” On the other side, Stephen Miller, a former Trump official, has defended the deportation, saying it wasn’t a mistake. The planned trip to El Salvador is a major step in the fight to bring Abrego Garcia home. It’s still unclear whether the lawmakers’ trip will succeed or what will happen next in the legal battle.

After the wrongful deportation, a U.S. District Judge ordered the Trump administration to give daily updates on Abrego Garcia’s situation. However, the Justice Department ignored this order, saying the court couldn’t force the executive branch to handle foreign affairs. The Supreme Court then stepped in, telling the Trump administration to “facilitate” Abrego Garcia’s return.

The administration still refused, arguing that it couldn’t tell another country what to do. The Justice Department kept insisting that only El Salvador (the country holding Abrego Garcia) could decide whether to send him back. During a meeting with President Trump, El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele made it clear he wouldn’t allow Abrego Garcia to return to the U.S., calling the request “preposterous.”

Meanwhile, the Trump administration has done nothing to push for Abrego Garcia’s return, saying it has no power to influence El Salvador’s decisions.