Fri Apr 18 02:36:02 UTC 2025: **US Senator Meets with Wrongfully Deported Salvadoran Man**
San Salvador, El Salvador – U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Maryland) met Thursday with Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Salvadoran citizen wrongly deported to El Salvador by the Trump administration. The meeting, which follows days of blocked attempts by the Senator to access Abrego Garcia, occurred in a San Salvador hotel. Senator Van Hollen had traveled to El Salvador specifically to advocate for Abrego Garcia’s release from a notorious prison.
Initially denied access by Salvadoran authorities, including Vice President Felix Ulloa, the Senator’s persistence led to the unexpected meeting. Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele, who previously stated he wouldn’t release Abrego Garcia, sarcastically commented on the meeting on social media, posting pictures of the Senator and Abrego Garcia together.
The circumstances that allowed the meeting to take place remain unclear. Senator Van Hollen stated he would provide a full update upon his return to the United States. A representative for Abrego Garcia has not yet commented. The meeting comes after a US judge questioned Trump officials’ refusal to return Abrego Garcia.
First Piper 