Dem Senator Headed To El Salvador On Mission To Bring MS-13 Suspect Back To America
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Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) announced Tuesday he will travel to El Salvador to check on Kilmar Abrego Garcia, an alleged MS-13 gang member imprisoned in the Central American nation, and push for his release.
The Democrat confirmed the plan after warning earlier in the week that he would make the trip if Garcia — a man residing in Maryland who was detained in March, deported, and sent to the Terrorism Confinement Center in his home country of El Salvador — was not returned to the United States.
“ItshouldbeapriorityoftheU.S.governmenttosecurehissaferelease,whichiswhytomorrowIamtravelingtoElSalvador,”VanHollensaidinastatement.“MyhopeistovisitKilmarandcheckonhiswellbeingandtoholdconstructiveconversationswithgovernmentofficialsaroundhisrelease.”
TheTrumpadministrationhasaccusedGarcia,whoenteredtheUnitedStatesillegallybutgotpermissiontostayin2019,ofbeingamemberofMS-13.Garcia’sattorneyshavereportedlydeniedthattheirclientispartofthegang.Lastweek,theSupremeCourtissuedarulingthatsaidthegov