Senator Van Hollen Finally Meets Deported Maryland Man in El Salvador Amid Legal Firestorm

Senator Chris Van Hollen of Maryland made headlines this week after a determined effort to meet Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a deported Maryland man currently held in El Salvador’s notorious megaprison, finally paid off. Van Hollen, who traveled to El Salvador after being denied access several times, confirmed on Thursday night that he was granted a face-to-face meeting with Abrego Garcia.

"I said my main goal of this trip was to meet with Kilmar," Van Hollen shared on social media. "Tonight I had that chance. I have called his wife, Jennifer, to pass along his message of love. I look forward to providing a full update upon my return."

Abrego Garcia, 29, was living in Maryland before being deported last month to CECOT, a high-security Salvadoran prison. While officials in court called his deportation an "administrative error," some Trump administration figures claim he was correctly removed and is an MS-13 gang member. Both a federal district court and the Supreme Court have ordered U.S. authorities to arrange for his return for proper deportation hearings, turning this case into a legal and political ping-pong match.

Van Hollen’s journey wasn’t exactly a smooth ride. After announcing his plans to visit Abrego Garcia, he was initially stonewalled by Salvadoran authorities. With President Nayib Bukele out of the country, Van Hollen met Vice President Félix Ulloa, who told him he’d need to arrange a formal prison visit in advance—a bureaucratic hurdle that felt more like a full-on obstacle course. Despite these setbacks, the senator persisted, citing the need to check on Abrego Garcia’s welfare, which his family and lawyers had not been able to do.

After more than a little diplomatic wrangling, Van Hollen succeeded. Photos surfaced showing the senator and Abrego Garcia sitting together at a table with water and coffee. President Bukele, never one to miss a headline, posted on social media with a heavy dose of sarcasm, declaring Abrego Garcia was now "sipping margaritas with Sen. Van Hollen in the tropical paradise of El Salvador"—not exactly the usual vacation spot.

Bukele added that with Abrego Garcia’s health “confirmed,” he would remain in Salvadoran custody. The message was clear: no immediate return to the U.S., despite ongoing legal battles.

Those legal battles are heating up. Earlier in the day, a federal appeals court denied the Trump administration’s emergency request to block a judge’s order requiring Abrego Garcia’s return to the U.S. The Department of Justice had tried to intervene, but the court’s three-judge panel dismissed the request as "extraordinary and premature." The panel included judges appointed by Presidents Reagan, Clinton, and Obama—a rare bipartisan lineup if you’re keeping score at home.

Meanwhile, the Trump administration released court documents alleging Abrego Garcia has a violent history, including domestic abuse accusations from his wife, Jennifer Vasquez, and affiliation with the MS-13 gang. Vasquez’s handwritten court filing detailed repeated abuse, stating, "At this point, I am afraid to be close to him. I have multiple photos/videos of how violent he can be and all the bruises he [has] left me." Homeland Security has also weighed in, pointing to evidence tying Abrego Garcia to MS-13, a gang the Trump administration has labeled a terrorist organization.

Attorney General Pam Bondi put it bluntly: Abrego Garcia will not be allowed back into the U.S. unless Salvadoran authorities decide otherwise, saying, "He is not coming back to our country."

With legal and political fireworks on both sides, this saga is far from over. But for one night at least, Sen. Van Hollen ticked off his main goal, and Abrego Garcia remains at the center of a storm that’s part courtroom drama, part international standoff.