^{Source: Newsweek}

A Senator’s Mission for Justice

In an intense week of political back-and-forth, Democratic Senator Chris Van Hollen of Maryland made headlines following his high-profile trip to El Salvador, where he met with Kilmar Abrego Garcia—a man at the center of a growing legal and political firestorm.

Abrego Garcia, a resident of Maryland, was wrongfully detained and deported to El Salvador by U.S. immigration authorities, despite federal court findings and a Supreme Court directive ordering the U.S. government to facilitate his return.

Speaking on several major news platforms—including ABC’s This Week, CNN’s State of the Union, and NBC’s Meet the Press—Van Hollen emphasized that his trip was not about defending Abrego Garcia personally but about safeguarding the constitutional right to due process for every American.

“The Trump administration admitted in court they got it wrong,” Van Hollen said. “This is bigger than one man. It’s about whether we still believe in the rule of law.”

The Human Toll: Abrego Garcia’s Ordeal

Van Hollen recounted that his meeting with Abrego Garcia in El Salvador revealed deep emotional scars.

“He spoke about the trauma of being abducted from his community, the loss of his livelihood, and being thrown into one of the most notorious prisons in Latin America—CECOT,” said the senator.

CECOT (Centro de Confinamiento del Terrorismo) has been widely condemned by international human rights organizations for overcrowding, abusive practices, and lack of transparency. Human Rights Watch has called it “a dystopian monument to authoritarianism,” and Amnesty International has raised red flags about detainees' treatment there.

El Salvador’s Defiant Stand

The situation escalated after El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele, during a White House visit in early April, firmly stated he would not return Abrego Garcia to the United States.

That comment came in stark contrast to a U.S. Supreme Court ruling instructing the Trump administration to “facilitate” Abrego’s return. Just hours after Bukele’s defiance, the Trump administration told a federal judge it lacked the power to compel El Salvador’s cooperation—essentially passing the buck.

The administration’s stance has drawn sharp criticism from legal scholars and civil rights advocates alike, who argue that the rule of law is being openly disregarded.

A Brewing Constitutional Crisis?

Van Hollen did not mince words when asked if the U.S. is currently in a constitutional crisis.

“Yes, we are,” he said bluntly.

He pointed to the Trump administration’s continued defiance of federal court orders as evidence that the executive branch is undermining judicial authority. Legal experts, including those from the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), echoed this concern, stating that the executive's refusal to comply with court rulings sets a dangerous precedent for American democracy.

“If we allow the government to ignore constitutional protections for one man, it won’t stop there,” Van Hollen warned. “It opens the door for these rights to be denied to anyone.”

Legal and Political Fallout

According to a recent report by the Brennan Center for Justice, at least 132 individuals were wrongfully deported between 2019 and 2023, but the case of Kilmar Abrego Garcia has become the flashpoint due to the sheer defiance of legal orders involved.

Van Hollen’s public statements have sparked renewed calls in Congress for oversight hearings and potential sanctions against agencies that fail to uphold court mandates. Several House Democrats are reportedly drafting a resolution condemning the administration’s actions.

What’s Next for Abrego Garcia and U.S. Diplomacy?

As of April 21, 2025, Abrego Garcia remains in El Salvador, with no concrete plan for his return. Meanwhile, legal teams in the U.S. continue to petition international courts and human rights commissions to intervene.

Sen. Van Hollen has vowed to continue advocating for Garcia’s return, stating that the case is “a bellwether for whether America still honors its Constitution when it’s inconvenient to do so.”

“This isn't just about immigration. It’s about what kind of country we are. If we allow our government to trample on people’s rights unchecked, we’re all at risk.”

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