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On Monday, a delegation of four House Democrats journeyed to El Salvador with the intent of urging President Nayib Bukele and the Trump administration to take action for the release of Kilmar Ábrego García, a Maryland resident who was deported last month despite a federal court’s protective ruling against his removal.
Unfortunately, their attempts to access Ábrego García during this visit were unsuccessful. As a result, the lawmakers are now demanding that the Trump administration provide “daily proof of life” for him, along with access to legal representation and a swift release.
“Since we couldn’t gather the necessary information from the embassy today, we have sent a letter just half an hour ago to Secretary of State Marco Rubio, insisting on daily proof of life for Mr. Ábrego García,” remarked Rep. Yassamin Ansari from Arizona, one of the House Democrats, at a press conference on Monday afternoon. “We are also firmly advocating for his safe return home.”
This trip forms part of a larger effort by Democrats to bring attention to Ábrego García’s plight, which legal experts warn could lead the U.S. into a constitutional crisis. Recently, the Supreme Court directed the federal government to “facilitate” his return to the U.S., yet the Trump administration has resisted, citing a lack of jurisdiction.
The Democratic representatives indicated that their request to meet with Ábrego García was denied by the Salvadoran government due to the absence of official authorization for their visit, although they did have a meeting with the U.S. Embassy in El Salvador.
“I have no reason to believe that the Trump administration is actively working to facilitate his safe return home,” Ansari stated. “That is simply unacceptable.”
This visit follows a prior trip by Sen. Chris Van Hollen of Maryland, who managed to secure a brief meeting with Ábrego García after two days of negotiations. Van Hollen described Ábrego García as “traumatized” due to his experience in the notorious CECOT maximum-security prison, where the Bukele government detains alleged terrorists and gang members. He mentioned that Ábrego García has since been transferred to a less severe detention facility.
However, a photo taken during that meeting, which showed Van Hollen and Ábrego García conversing across a table, has raised suspicions among Democrats and the family’s legal team, who now wonder if it was merely a staged event orchestrated by the Bukele government. “Since the staged photo op last Thursday, we have received no updates regarding Mr. Ábrego García’s whereabouts,” stated Chris Newman, the family’s attorney, during the press conference. “Unfortunately, we can no longer trust the assurances provided by either the U.S. or Salvadoran governments regarding this case.”
Ábrego García was deported on March 15 as part of a mass deportation order issued by the Trump administration, which affected more than 200 individuals. The administration justified these expedited removals by invoking the 1798 Alien Enemies Act, despite widespread legal challenges and bipartisan concerns regarding its application outside of wartime.
Although Ábrego García entered the U.S. illegally years ago, a judge granted him “withholding of removal” status in 2019 after determining that he had credible fears of persecution if returned to El Salvador. Nonetheless, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) deported him in March, which the Justice Department initially described as an “administrative error.”
Since that time, both a federal judge and the U.S. Supreme Court have affirmed that the government must assist in his return— a directive that administration officials assert cannot be fulfilled without cooperation from El Salvador.
“If this can happen to Ábrego García, it could easily happen to individuals from Venezuela… our constituents, and even to U.S. citizens at any time, as the President himself has noted in the Oval Office,” Frost commented. “This is a violation of our laws, which is precisely why we are here.”
Read More: Can a U.S. Citizen Be Deported? Trump’s Comments Raise Legal Alarms
Republican leaders have accused Democrats of siding with criminals, citing unverified allegations that Ábrego García is linked to MS-13. The White House referred to the Democrats’ visit as an “apology tour for a deported illegal immigrant gang member.”
“Today, four more Democrats are in El Salvador, reaffirming their party’s stance of prioritizing a deported illegal immigrant MS-13 gang member over the American citizens they represent,” the White House asserted in a press release.
However, the only evidence linking Ábrego García to gang activity is a 2019 police report that has been heavily scrutinized in court. His family and legal representatives have denied these claims, and judges evaluating his circumstances have consistently upheld his protective status.
Court documents reviewed by TIME indicate that the Trump administration had the opportunity to challenge Ábrego García’s deportation protections during its first term but chose not to do so.
Frost emphasized that their visit was partially to ensure public awareness regarding the deportations carried out by the Trump administration: “They do everything possible to make people forget about their lawbreaking and completely disregard the Supreme Court,” he remarked.
The Democratic lawmakers also voiced concerns regarding Andry José Hernández Romero, a Venezuelan asylum seeker who was deported to El Salvador after the Trump administration accused him of gang affiliations based solely on his tattoos. Romero, a gay makeup artist, fled Venezuela due to fears of persecution and legally sought asylum through a U.S. government app. “We know that no gang ties associated with him have been recognized or presented in a court of law,” Garcia stated. “This is our urgent plea to the Embassy—confirm that he is alive.”
The Democratic lawmakers mentioned that they had sought an official congressional delegation (CODEL) to visit both men, yet their request was denied by House Oversight Chair James Comer and Homeland Security Chair Mark Green, both Republicans, who cited budgetary concerns and accused Democrats of defending gang members. “No Democrat has been permitted to join official delegations,” Garcia pointed out. “There have been CODELs made up solely of Republican members of Congress.”
Jennifer Vasquez Sura, the wife of Ábrego García, expressed her gratitude in a statement for the four Congress members who traveled to El Salvador to advocate for her husband’s release. She articulated her worries regarding his health, stating, “Their presence sends a strong message: The fight to bring Kilmar home is far from over,” and added, “We need Congress to continue showing up.”
Frost also mentioned that additional lawmakers plan to visit El Salvador soon to keep the issue in the spotlight. “We will not be the last members of Congress and senators to advocate for his release,” he asserted. “The discussion surrounding our Constitution and our laws is far from concluded, no matter what Donald Trump may assert.”
