US Senator Addresses Migrant's Transfer to Different Prison

A recent development in the case of Kilmar Ábrego García, a Salvadoran migrant who was deported from the United States despite being granted protection, has surfaced. Senator Chris Van Hollen, a Democrat from Maryland, announced that García has been moved from the notorious CECOT prison in El Salvador to another facility near the city of Santa Ana. This change follows a meeting between the senator and García in El Salvador, marking their first encounter.

During their discussion, García reported that conditions in his new prison are improved compared to his previous incarceration, where he was confined with 25 other inmates in a single cell. However, he still lacks any form of contact with the outside world. The 29-year-old García fled to the United States around 2011 to escape gang violence. Although his application for asylum was rejected in 2019, he was granted deportation protection due to the risk of political persecution back in El Salvador.

Senator Van Hollen has referred to García's deportation as a form of abduction. He highlighted that a government attorney had described the situation as a mere administrative error. Nevertheless, this error resulted in a family man being forcibly taken from the streets of Maryland and placed in a prison in El Salvador. The senator emphasized the importance of protecting the constitutional rights of every individual residing in the United States, asserting that denying one person their rights poses a threat to the rights and due process of all citizens.

In a light-hearted moment during their meeting, a photo was shared on social media showing Senator Van Hollen and García seated at a table with drinks. This prompted El Salvador's President Nayib Bukele to mockingly comment on the situation, suggesting that García had miraculously emerged from 'death camps' and was now enjoying margaritas with the senator.

Van Hollen responded to these remarks, clarifying that they had only consumed water during their meeting. He explained that a government official placed glasses on the table that appeared to contain margaritas, but neither he nor García drank from those glasses. The senator indicated that the perception of García drinking was misleading due to the glass being less full than his own.

The senator traveled to El Salvador to advocate for García's return to the United States. Critics, including Van Hollen, have accused the current administration of ignoring judicial orders regarding García's case. In response to the senator's efforts, former President Donald Trump labeled him a 'fool' and accused him of seeking media attention while in El Salvador.

This case has garnered significant attention as U.S. courts have deemed García's deportation illegal. A federal judge has ordered the government to reinstate him, and the matter is currently pending before the Supreme Court, highlighting ongoing legal disputes surrounding his case.