This comes after Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) made the journey final week.
4 extra Democratic lawmakers have traveled to El Salvador to push for the discharge of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, the person on the middle of a high-profile deportation by the Trump administration.
U.S. Reps. Yassamin Ansari (D-Ariz.), Maxine Dexter (D-Ore.), Robert Garcia (D-Calif.), and Maxwell Frost (D-Fla.) arrived in El Salvador on Sunday.
This comes after Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) made the journey final week.
In a information convention Monday in El Salvador’s capital, the 4 representatives and Abrego Garcia’s lawyer mentioned they had been in El Salvador “demanding his protected return dwelling.” The group mentioned they hoped to proceed to stress authorities for his launch, and that their petition to fulfill with Abrego Garcia was denied.
Frost mentioned the representatives had been in El Salvador to “construct off the work” of Van Hollen and that they had been inquiring about the place Abrego Garcia was being held and underneath what circumstances.
Chris Newman, a lawyer representing the deportee, added that his main concern was Abrego Garcia’s entry to counsel.
“We all know nothing of Mr. Abrego Garcia’s whereabouts for the reason that staged photograph op on Thursday with Senator Van Hollen,” Newman mentioned. “We demand to right away know the place he’s and to have entry to him.”
Chris Newman, lawyer of the Abrego Garcia household, speaks throughout a press convention on the liberation of Salvadoran Kilmar Abrego Garcia in San Salvador, El Salvador, on April 21, 2025. Marvin Recinos/AFP by way of Getty Photographs
The White Home press workplace issued a press release Monday that mentioned the previous week “has proven Individuals every part they should find out about Democrats’ priorities.”
The White Home accused the representatives of “choosing up their social gathering’s mantle of prioritizing a deported unlawful immigrant MS-13 gang member over the Individuals they signify.”
MS-13 and different worldwide prison gangs had been designated as terrorist organizations by the U.S. authorities earlier this 12 months. Unlawful immigrants who’re suspected and confirmed members of such teams had been prioritized for deportation by the Trump administration in March.
Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) speaks with Kilmar Abrego Garcia (L) in a resort restaurant in San Salvador, El Salvador, on April 17, 2025. Press Workplace Senator Van Hollen by way of AP
Van Hollen mentioned he was the primary lawmaker to go to El Salvador on this case and recommended there could be extra.
In keeping with Comer, an official congressional delegation journey for this function could be a waste of taxpayer cash.
“Please respect the cash of the American folks,” Comer mentioned in his letter.
Earlier this month, the U.S. Supreme Court docket ordered the Trump administration to “facilitate” the return of Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia to america from a Salvadoran jail. The Trump administration initially mentioned it had made an “administrative error” in deporting him to his dwelling nation regardless of a 2019 order stopping his deportation there, the place the court docket decided that he would face hazard.
Legal professionals for the federal authorities mentioned in court docket final week that they don’t have the facility to safe Abrego Garcia’s launch as a result of he’s within the custody of a overseas nation. El Salvador President Nayib Bukele has publicly acknowledged that he has no intention of returning him.
Abrego Garcia was in america illegally and had a deportation order earlier than the 2019 court docket order decided that he would face hazard in El Salvador.
In keeping with White Home press secretary Karoline Leavitt, even when Abrego Garcia was returned to america, “he would instantly be deported once more.”
The Related Press contributed to this report.
