El Salvador has denied U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen access to a Salvadoran national recently deported by the Trump administration—defying Democratic efforts to reverse the deportation and escalating a political and diplomatic standoff between Washington and San Salvador.
Senator Van Hollen, a Maryland Democrat, traveled to El Salvador to meet with Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a man previously residing in Maryland who was deported in March despite a legal challenge. The visit was part of a broader effort by Democrat lawmakers to frame the deportation as a human rights issue and paint the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement as unlawful. But El Salvador rejected the senator’s request and refused to grant him access to Abrego Garcia, who remains in custody in a high-security facility.
Abrego Garcia was removed under a Trump administration directive after immigration authorities concluded he no longer qualified for legal protection. Despite a pending legal appeal, federal officials executed the deportation, citing national security and criminal concerns. The Biden-appointed courts later claimed the deportation was in violation of a court order, sparking Democratic outrage and a Supreme Court challenge. However, the Trump administration has argued that courts have no authority to dictate how foreign nations respond to U.S. immigration actions—especially when deportations are lawfully executed.
El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele has so far refused to return Abrego Garcia to the United States, saying the man will be dealt with under Salvadoran law and that El Salvador will not serve as a pawn in U.S. political games. Bukele’s administration emphasized national sovereignty and pointed out that the deportation was a matter between sovereign nations—not an open-door negotiation with leftist U.S. politicians.
The Biden Justice Department has sided with the Democrats’ narrative, but the Trump White House has stood firm. Officials say the deportation was legal, necessary, and in accordance with national security protocols.
Senator Van Hollen’s trip has been widely criticized by conservatives as a political stunt. “This isn’t about human rights. It’s about Democrats trying to undermine immigration enforcement and cater to their open-borders base,” one official said.
Back in the U.S., the case has intensified debate over the limits of judicial power, executive authority on immigration, and the rights of deported foreign nationals. Legal experts note that U.S. courts have no jurisdiction to compel a foreign government to return a deported individual, and efforts to do so are more symbolic than enforceable.
For now, Abrego Garcia remains in Salvadoran custody, and President Bukele shows no signs of budging. Meanwhile, the Trump administration is using the moment to reinforce its message: America is reclaiming its immigration system, and foreign nationals with no legal right to remain will not be shielded by activist judges or partisan theatrics.