U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen Advocates for Due Process in El Salvador

U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) speaks to the media during a visit to El Salvador to advocate for the release of Kilmar Abrego Garcia in San Salvador, El Salvador, April 16, 2025. Jose Cabezas | Reuters

Maryland Sen. Chris Van Hollen stated on Sunday that his visit to El Salvador to meet with Kilmar Abrego Garcia focused on “defending the rights of this man to due process,” rather than “defending the man.” He emphasized, “The Trump administration has admitted in court that he was wrongfully detained and wrongfully deported,” during an interview on ABC News’ “This Week.”

“My mission and my purpose is to ensure that we uphold the rule of law, because if we take it away from him, we jeopardize it for everyone else,” he added.

Van Hollen also cautioned on CNN’s “State of the Union” that denying “the constitutional rights of this one man… threatens the constitutional rights of everyone in America.”

On NBC’s “Meet the Press,” the senator stated that the Trump administration is “flouting the courts as we speak.” When asked if the U.S. is in a constitutional crisis, the Maryland senator replied, “Yes, we are.”

Van Hollen’s media appearances followed his trip to El Salvador this week to meet with Abrego Garcia, who was mistakenly deported from Maryland. Recounting his meeting, Van Hollen characterized Abrego Garcia as having “experienced trauma” from his imprisonment.

“He told me about the trauma he had been experiencing, both in terms of the abduction and the fact that he was originally sent to CECOT, which is this notorious prison,” Van Hollen recounted on “This Week.”

Van Hollen’s visit coincided with comments from El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele, who, during a White House visit earlier this month, indicated that he would not facilitate Abrego Garcia’s return to the U.S. Shortly thereafter, the Trump administration informed a federal judge that it lacked the authority to compel El Salvador to return Abrego Garcia, despite a U.S. Supreme Court ruling stating that the administration should “facilitate” his return.