Chris Van Hollen bemoans treatment of Kilmar Garcia, as Patty Morin still grieves
Annapolis: Democratic Senator Chris Van Hollen revealed on Friday that Kilmar Ábrego García, a Salvadoran man deported by the Trump administration, has been held incommunicado and subjected to traumatic conditions in an El Salvadoran prison. In a widely-mocked trip, Van Hollen, who represents Maryland — where Ábrego García lived with his US citizen wife and son — visited him this week after the Salvadoran government initially blocked access.
Ábrego García was deported last month despite a Supreme Court ruling ordering his return, an action the Trump administration later admitted was an "administrative error". After pressure, President Nayib Bukele’s government allowed Van Hollen to meet Ábrego García in a hotel, where the detainee described his ordeal.
"He had no communication with anyone outside prison since his abduction," Van Hollen said at a press conference. "He was deeply saddened to be imprisoned despite committing no crime."
Ábrego García was arrested during a traffic stop with his five-year-old son, then shackled and flown to El Salvador, where he was held in the Terrorism Confinement Center (Cecot). Though recently moved to a better facility in Santa Ana, he remains isolated, unaware of any charges or release date.
Van Hollen condemned the Trump administration for deporting Ábrego García despite his protected status due to fears of gang persecution. "This isn’t just about one man—it’s about due process and constitutional rights," he said. A federal appeals judge also criticized the government for "stashing residents in foreign prisons without due process."
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Meanwhile, Patty Morin, whose daughter Rachel was raped and murdered by an illegal immigrant, criticized Senator Van Hollen's trip. Morin, an "Angel Mom" expressed outrage that Van Hollen used taxpayer money to advocate for Kilmar García, but never reached out to her or other affected families. "He’s had no interaction with me or the families of Kayla Hamilton and Tammy Nobles, yet he fights for a criminal," she said on Fox News.
Van Hollen’s trip drew backlash, especially after Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) suggested imposing million-dollar daily fines on the government until García is brought back. Moran called the idea "outrageous", asking why taxpayer money should fund his return instead of compensating victims.
When asked if she would accept a call from Van Hollen now, Moran said it would feel like a "political stunt" after nearly a year of silence. Meanwhile, House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries expressed sympathy for victims but emphasized deporting violent felons while protecting "law-abiding immigrant families". Morin countered, "If they’re here illegally, they should be deported."