On April 17, 2025, Senator Chris Van Hollen's request to meet with Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia, a Maryland resident recently deported to El Salvador, was denied by armed military officials, intensifying scrutiny around U.S. immigration policies.
Senator Van Hollen Denied Access to El Salvador Prison Amid Immigration Controversy
Senator Van Hollen Denied Access to El Salvador Prison Amid Immigration Controversy
Maryland senator halted at military checkpoint during attempt to visit detainee previously deported from the U.S.
Senator Chris Van Hollen, a Democrat representing Maryland and a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, faced a significant setback during his visit to El Salvador last Thursday. His caravan was abruptly halted about a mile away from CECOT, a maximum-security prison where Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia is being held. Abrego Garcia, who has been in custody for over a month following his deportation from the United States, has become a focal point in discussions regarding U.S. immigration practices.
Despite Van Hollen's aim to check on Abrego Garcia's wellbeing, both he and the attorney Chris Newman were turned away at a military roadblock. Their denial of access came shortly after El Salvador’s vice president rejected Van Hollen's formal request for a meeting or even a phone conversation with Abrego Garcia. In an interview following the events, Van Hollen expressed his disappointment and emphasized the urgency of confirming the detainee’s condition, especially after being “illegally abducted” from the U.S.
The encounter, described by Van Hollen as a blockade, raises concerns about human rights and the treatment of detainees in El Salvador's prison system, where overcrowding and reports of torture have been documented by advocates. Following the incident, he characterized the denial of entry as a failure of a straightforward humanitarian request. “They were ordered not to allow us to proceed any further,” he remarked, reflecting the broader implications of the case in the context of U.S. immigration policy.
Despite Van Hollen's aim to check on Abrego Garcia's wellbeing, both he and the attorney Chris Newman were turned away at a military roadblock. Their denial of access came shortly after El Salvador’s vice president rejected Van Hollen's formal request for a meeting or even a phone conversation with Abrego Garcia. In an interview following the events, Van Hollen expressed his disappointment and emphasized the urgency of confirming the detainee’s condition, especially after being “illegally abducted” from the U.S.
The encounter, described by Van Hollen as a blockade, raises concerns about human rights and the treatment of detainees in El Salvador's prison system, where overcrowding and reports of torture have been documented by advocates. Following the incident, he characterized the denial of entry as a failure of a straightforward humanitarian request. “They were ordered not to allow us to proceed any further,” he remarked, reflecting the broader implications of the case in the context of U.S. immigration policy.
