SAN SALVADOR, El Salvador – Maryland Senator Chris Van Hollen has met with Kilmar Abrego Garcia, the Maryland resident who was mistakenly deported to El Salvador by U.S. immigration officials last month, marking the first known meeting between a U.S. official and Abrego Garcia since his controversial removal. The meeting, which took place on Thursday evening in El Salvador, comes as legal efforts to secure Abrego Garcia’s return to the United States intensify.
Senator Van Hollen, a Democrat, traveled to El Salvador this week with the primary goal of checking on Abrego Garcia’s well-being and advocating for his return. After stating earlier in the day that he was denied entry to the high-security Terrorism Confinement Center (CECOT) where Abrego Garcia is being held, the senator later confirmed the meeting via social media, posting a photograph of himself with Abrego Garcia at what appeared to be a restaurant.
“I said my main goal of this trip was to meet with Kilmar,” Senator Van Hollen wrote 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.”
The circumstances of how the meeting was arranged remain unclear. However, the meeting occurred hours after Senator Van Hollen reported being stopped by soldiers near the prison.
Adding a further layer of complexity, El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele also shared images of the meeting shortly before Senator Van Hollen’s post. Bukele’s accompanying message stated, “Now that he’s been confirmed healthy, he gets the honor of staying in El Salvador’s custody,” accompanied by emojis of the U.S. and El Salvador flags and a handshake.
Abrego Garcia, a Salvadoran national who has resided in Maryland for approximately 14 years, was deported in March despite an existing immigration court order that shielded him from deportation to El Salvador, citing safety concerns due to gang violence in his native country. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has since acknowledged the deportation as an “administrative error.”
The case has become a focal point in the ongoing debate over immigration policies and the treatment of detainees. The Trump administration has maintained that Abrego Garcia has ties to the MS-13 gang, a claim vehemently denied by his legal team, who emphasize that he has never been charged with any related crime.
Senator Van Hollen’s visit and meeting with Abrego Garcia represent a significant development in the case. While the meeting confirms Abrego Garcia’s safety, his immediate future and the efforts to facilitate his return to his family in Maryland remain uncertain. The senator is expected to provide a more comprehensive update upon his return to the United States.