Senator Chris Van Hollen’s (D-MD) recent trip to El Salvador to advocate for the release of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a deported Salvadoran national, has sparked intense debate and drawn sharp criticism.
The lawmaker’s journey to the Central American nation, where he was denied access to Garcia at the Centro de Confinamiento del Terrorismo (CECOT) maximum security prison, showed the disturbing true colors of anti-borders politicians: an instinct to prioritize the interests of illegal aliens over those of legal American citizens.
Van Hollen’s trip was ostensibly to address what he called the “illegal abduction” of Garcia, who was deported in March 2025 despite a court order preventing his removal. The senator met with El Salvador’s Vice President, Félix Ulloa, pressing for Garcia’s release and alleging that the Trump Administration was paying El Salvador to detain him.
Yet, the Department of Homeland Security and the White House have consistently labeled Garcia an MS-13 gang member, human trafficker, and illegal alien—a characterization supported by a 2019 police report citing a confidential informant’s accusation of Garcia’s gang affiliation. While Garcia has not been convicted of gang-related crimes, the Trump Administration and Salvadoran authorities maintain that his deportation was justified, with Attorney General Pam Bondi declaring that Garcia is “not coming back” to America.
The senator’s actions reflect an insufferable pattern among anti-borders politicians, who loudly champion the cause of illegal aliens with a zeal that often overshadows the needs of their own constituents. Van Hollen’s decision to fly to El Salvador, potentially using taxpayer funds, to advocate for an alien accused of ties to a violent gang stands in stark contrast to his limited engagement with issues affecting legal Marylanders.
Patty Morin, the mother of Rachel Morin—a Maryland woman brutally murdered in 2023 by an illegal alien from El Salvador—publicly criticized Van Hollen for his failure to acknowledge her daughter’s death while expending time and resources on Garcia’s case. Morin’s remarks at a White House press briefing highlighted the senator’s apparent indifference to the victims of crimes committed by illegal aliens, noting that he “didn’t even bother to contact” her family after her daughter’s murder.
Van Hollen’s trip, coupled with his vocal defense of Garcia, shows a willingness to overlook serious allegations of criminality in favor of a narrative that portrays deportees as victims of injustice. His mixed voting record on immigration—such as his opposition to the Laken Riley Act, which aimed to strengthen deportation policies—further reinforces the growing perception that he and his like-minded colleagues are more concerned with protecting illegal aliens than addressing the concerns of American families.
The corporate media’s role in this saga has been equally troubling, with outlets frequently describing Garcia as a “Maryland father” or “Maryland resident” to evoke sympathy. This framing glosses over the more concerning aspects of his case, including allegations of foreign gang affiliation and a documented history of domestic violence. A 2021 Maryland order of protection filed by Garcia’s wife and police records labeling him a “violent” repeat offender paint a far less wholesome picture than the media’s sanitized portrayal suggests.
By emphasizing Garcia’s familial ties while downplaying or omitting his alleged criminal connections, agenda-driven news outlets manufacture a skewed narrative that aligns with pro-illegal immigration advocacy. This selective reporting misleads the public and obscures the legitimate concerns raised by the Trump Administration and critics like Representative Andy Harris (R-MD), who accused Van Hollen of exhibiting a “double standard” by focusing on Garcia’s case while neglecting victims like Rachel Morin.
Van Hollen’s defenders argue that his trip was a necessary response to a miscarriage of justice, pointing to the U.S. Supreme Court’s unanimous ruling that the government must facilitate Garcia’s return due to an “administrative error” in his deportation. They contend that the lack of concrete evidence tying Garcia to MS-13 justifies the senator’s efforts to secure his release.
However, this argument ignores the inescapable truth: Garcia was living illegally in the United States, and there is evidence he was part of a foreign terrorist organization. In her statement on the case, Attorney General Bondi said Garcia’s deportation was “unauthorized” because of one missing paperwork step. Should he be returned, that one step would be completed, and he would be on the next flight back to El Salvador.
Ultimately, Van Hollen’s El Salvador trip serves as a reminder of why the popularity of Donald Trump’s emphasis on border security has been growing. By championing the cause of a deported illegal alien with alleged ties to a violent gang, Van Hollen and those with similar leanings are showing just how tone deaf they are to the needs of American citizens. Until Van Hollen and his comrades re-align their positions on immigration with those of most Americans, they will remain exactly where they are now: in the political wilderness, out of touch with voters and defending the indefensible.
Dale L. Wilcox is executive director and general counsel for the Immigration Reform Law Institute, a public interest law firm working to defend the rights and interests of the American people from the negative effects of mass migration.
