Kilmar Ábrego García, a Salvadoran national illegally residing in the U.S. since 2011, was taken into ICE custody this week following a press conference held in Maryland. García, now 30, faces federal human smuggling charges and possible deportation to Uganda—a country with which he has no known ties.
Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) refused to apologize Friday after being called out by the White House for defending Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Salvadoran national deported under President Trump and later indicted for human smuggling. Van Hollen, who has championed Abrego Garcia’s legal battle, insisted his actions were about defending constitutional rights, not supporting the individual.
New police and court records have uncovered deeper ties between deported Salvadoran national Kilmar Abrego Garcia and suspected human smuggling operations stretching from Texas to Maryland. Despite these revelations, prominent Democrats continue to push for his return to the U.S., staging protests and diplomatic visits to El Salvador on his behalf.
