Sen. Chris Van Hollen traveled to El Salvador with one goal in mind: to meet Kilmar Abrego Garcia.
"I said my main goal of this trip was to meet with Kilmar," Van Hollen posted on X. "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."
Garcia, a 29-year-old illegal immigrant from Maryland, was deported to El Salvador’s CECOT megaprison last month. U.S. officials admitted in court that his deportation was an administrative error, but top Trump officials argue Garcia was rightfully removed due to suspected MS-13 ties. Both a federal court and the Supreme Court ordered the administration to facilitate his return for proper deportation proceedings.
Earlier in the week, Van Hollen announced plans to visit Garcia. Other Democrats also expressed interest in seeing him. But when Van Hollen arrived, El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele was abroad, and he instead met with Vice President Félix Ulloa.
"I asked the vice president if I could meet with Mr. Abrego Garcia, and he said, ‘Well, you need to make earlier provisions to go visit CECOT,’" Van Hollen said. He declined a prison tour, stating he only wanted to meet Garcia. "He said he was not able to make that happen," Van Hollen added.
The senator was told there were no guarantees of a future visit, and Garcia couldn't even speak to his family by phone. Despite the roadblocks, Van Hollen kept pressing for access. "We were there for one simple reason: to check on his well-being, which his family and lawyers have not been allowed to do," he said. "We won’t stop fighting."
Eventually, the meeting happened. Photos showed Van Hollen and Garcia seated together at a table with drinks, coffee, and water. Other images included garnished glasses and the two shaking hands.
President Bukele took to X to mock the situation. "Kilmar Abrego Garcia, miraculously risen from the ‘death camps’ & ‘torture,’ now sipping margaritas with Sen. Van Hollen in the tropical paradise of El Salvador!" he wrote. In a follow-up post, he added, "Now that he’s been confirmed healthy, he gets the honor of staying in El Salvador’s custody."