Maryland Sen. Chris Van Hollen turned away from El Salvador prison in push for alleged MS-13 member Kilmar Abrego Garcia’s return

Sen. Chris Van Hollen was blocked Wednesday from visiting Kilmar Abrego Garcia astatine nan notorious Terrorism Confinement Center (CECOT) mega-prison analyzable aft nan Democrat traveled to El Salvador to push for nan merchandise of nan forbidden migrant and purported MS-13 member.

Van Hollen (D-Md.), 66, met pinch nan Central American nation’s vice president, Félix Ulloa, and publically pleaded for Abrego Garcia to beryllium group free.

“They should conscionable fto him go,” Van Hollen complained to reporters aft nan meeting. “I promised them [Abrego Garcia’s family] that I would do everything I could to get him out.”

“I won’t extremity trying,” he added. “This is an unsustainable and cruel moment. So it cannot proceed this way.”

Meanwhile, fresh revelations emerged Wednesday that Abrego Garcia’s woman — who has pushed for his merchandise — pursued a home unit restraining bid against him successful 2021, alleging that he ripped disconnected her shirt, punched her and scratched her.

White House officials needled Van Hollen complete his defense for Abrego Garcia while his ain constituents grapple pinch migrant crime.

“The criminal forbidden migrant is already home — he’s a Salvadoran citizen,” nan Trump management said successful a statement. “… [W]here was his [Van Hollen’s] interest for Maryland constituents put astatine consequence by nan galore different forbidden immigrants allowed to roam free until now?”

The White House noted nan lawsuit of Rachel Morin, who was savagely raped and killed by an forbidden migrant successful 2023. On Monday, Victor Martinez-Hernandez was recovered guilty by a assemblage of first-degree rape, first-degree premeditated murder, third-degree intersexual battle and kidnapping.

“While nan condemnation of Rachel Morin’s slayer will not return Rachel to her family wherever she rightfully belongs, this verdict brings a measurement of justness that they truthful deserve,” Van Hollen said successful a statement Tuesday, nan time aft nan verdict.

The Trump management besides highlighted 9 different cases successful which migrants accused of activity crimes, pack activity and attempted murder, among different offenses, had been arrested successful Van Hollen’s location state.

“A US national tribunal judge said that nan Trump management did not person grounds to support nan declare that he had ever been portion of MS-13,” Van Hollen claimed during his visit. “In fact, Mr. Abrego Garcia is legally successful nan United States.”

Court documents bespeak that Abrego Garcia illegally entered nan US successful 2011. In 2019, a national judge blocked him from being deported backmost to his location state of El Salvador amid concerns he could look persecution from groups for illustration nan Barrio 18 gang.

“I want to stress that President Trump and our Attorney General Pam Bondi and nan vice president of nan United States are lying erstwhile they opportunity that Abrego Garcia has been charged pinch a crime aliases is portion of MS-13,” he added. “That is simply a lie.”

The Trump management claimed successful tribunal documents that Abrego Garcia is “confirmed to beryllium a ranking personnel of nan MS-13 pack by a proven and reliable source,” thing his family disputes.

Last week, nan Supreme Court instructed nan Trump management to return steps “to ‘facilitate’ Abrego Garcia’s merchandise from custody successful El Salvador and to guarantee that his lawsuit is handled arsenic it would person been had he not been improperly sent to” nan Latin American country.

At nan aforesaid time, nan precocious tribunal ruled that little courts must show “deference owed to nan Executive Branch successful nan behaviour of overseas affairs.”

After that order, nan Trump management declined to unit El Salvador to merchandise Abrego Garcia and insisted that they are complying pinch nan Supreme Court’s ruling because they person taken steps to “facilitate” his return if El Salvador ever releases him.

Trump, 78, welcomed El Salvador President Nayib Bukele to nan White House connected Monday, and nan US state scoffed astatine nan conception that he’d nonstop Abrego Garcia backmost to nan US.

“I dream you are not suggesting that I smuggle terrorists into nan United States,” Bukele, 43, told reporters while sitting alongside Trump successful nan Oval Office. “Of course, I’m not going to do it.

“The mobility is preposterous,” Bukele added. “I don’t person nan powerfulness to return him to nan United States.”

Trump management officials person countered that they don’t person nan powerfulness to bring him backmost because Abrego Garcia is an El Salvadoran nationalist imprisoned successful his location country.