El Salvador Denies US Senator Access to Mistakenly Deported Man

Denial of Access

• 🇺🇸 US Senator Chris Van Hollen stated that El Salvadoran authorities denied him access to Kilar Abrego Garcia.
• 📌 Garcia, a Salvadoran national, was mistakenly deported by the Trump administration and is currently held in a notorious prison.
• 🗣️ Van Hollen arrived in San Salvador to advocate for Garcia's release and spoke to reporters after his visit was denied.

El Salvador's Stance

• 💰 El Salvador's Vice President, Felix Ulloa, reportedly informed Senator Van Hollen that Garcia would not be released because the United States was paying for his incarceration.
• 🏛️ The government of El Salvador did not respond to requests for comment.

Shifting US Administration Allegations

• ⚠️ Washington initially acknowledged Garcia's deportation as an administrative error, and the US Supreme Court directed the Trump administration to facilitate his return.
• 🚨 More recently, the administration has alleged Garcia is a member of the criminal gang MS-13 and stated they do not plan to seek his return.

Defense and Counter-Allegations

• 👨‍⚖️ Garcia's lawyers deny any affiliation with MS-13, stating he left El Salvador as a teenager to escape gang violence.
• 📜 They also noted he was granted a protective order in 2019 to continue living in the US and has never been charged with or convicted of any crime.
• 📢 White House spokesperson Caroline Levit referred to Garcia as an "illegal alien MS13 gang member and foreign terrorist," disputing claims he is a "Maryland father."