A Democratic congresswoman from Colorado, Rep. Maxine Dexter, has announced that she will travel to El Salvador to advocate for the release of deported illegal migrant Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia. This decision follows a visit by Sen. Chris Van Hollen, who also sought to help Abrego Garcia, a legal U.S. resident held in El Salvador’s “Terrorism Confinement Center” (CECOT) after being deported last month. Dexter believes that Abrego Garcia’s due process rights have been violated, and she views his situation as a constitutional crisis that should concern all Americans. She aims to address the issue head-on and ensure that constitutional rights are upheld.
The case of Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia has become a divisive topic between Democrats and Republicans. While the Trump administration claims that Abrego Garcia is a member of the MS-13 gang with a history of violence and suspected human trafficking, Democrats view him as a hard-working Maryland resident whose rights have been infringed upon. The Supreme Court has acknowledged that Abrego Garcia was subject to a withholding order in 2019 that made his deportation to El Salvador illegal. Democrats argue that he should be released from custody in El Salvador and treated as if he were never deported.
One immigration judge in 2019 found that Abrego Garcia had not adequately refuted evidence of MS-13 affiliation and deemed him removable to any location other than El Salvador due to threats from a rival gang. Some top Trump officials maintain that Abrego Garcia was correctly deported and continue to assert his ties to the MS-13 gang. The White House released a photo showing what appeared to be MS-13 gang tattoos on Abrego Garcia’s hand. Despite the administrative error in his deportation, Trump officials argue that declaring MS-13 a terrorist organization made Abrego Garcia ineligible for immigration relief in the U.S.
Critics, including Republicans and Trump allies, question why Sen. Van Hollen would advocate for someone with alleged gang ties and a history of domestic abuse while remaining silent on victims of crimes committed by illegal immigrants. The White House has highlighted this contrast by releasing a split-screen image showing President Trump comforting the mother of a murder victim and Sen. Van Hollen meeting with Abrego Garcia in El Salvador. This move underscores the differences in approaches to illegal immigration between Republicans and Democrats. The ongoing controversy surrounding Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia’s case continues to highlight the complexities and challenges surrounding the issue of immigration policy and enforcement.
