Representative Mike Collins mistakenly Photoshopped a Senate office plaque, intending to mock Senator Chris Van Hollen’s visit to El Salvador to see a deported constituent. Instead of altering Van Hollen’s plaque, Collins digitally altered the plaque of Republican Senator Rick Scott, a past political ally. The altered image showed “El Salvador” replacing Scott’s constituency information. This error followed Collins’s previous accusations that Van Hollen was consorting with an MS-13 gang member, a claim that lacks supporting evidence.
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El Salvador’s proposal to send US-deported Venezuelans back to Venezuela presents a complex situation rife with ethical and political considerations. The core of the issue lies in the initial decision to detain these Venezuelans in El Salvador without due process, raising serious human rights concerns. The lack of trials or convictions before imprisonment suggests a system prioritizing expediency over justice, transforming the deportation process into something far more sinister.
This raises the question of why El Salvador became involved in this process in the first place, accepting deportees into its prisons without a clear legal framework. The suspicion that financial incentives played a role, perhaps involving a payment from the US, further muddies the waters.… Continue reading
Senator Chris Van Hollen visited El Salvador to meet with Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Maryland man illegally imprisoned there by the Trump administration despite a Supreme Court order for his return. Van Hollen’s meeting revealed Abrego Garcia’s detention in harsh conditions at CECOT, a notorious prison, with the Salvadoran government admitting to holding him due to US payments. The Trump administration’s claims of Abrego Garcia’s gang affiliation are contradicted by a federal judge’s ruling and the appeals court’s condemnation of the administration’s actions as lawless. Van Hollen exposed attempts by Salvadoran President Bukele to stage a misleading image of Abrego Garcia’s well-being.
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Following a Supreme Court ruling ordering his return, Maryland resident Kilmar Abrego Garcia, mistakenly deported to El Salvador, was visited there by Senator Chris Van Hollen. President Trump criticized Van Hollen’s visit on Truth Social, accusing him of grandstanding. El Salvadoran President Bukele, who also commented on the meeting, confirmed Abrego Garcia would remain in custody despite the Supreme Court’s decision. The White House continues to assert Abrego Garcia’s affiliation with MS-13 as justification for his continued detention.
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Following a meeting with Kilmar Abrego Garcia in El Salvador, Senator Chris Van Hollen reported that the wrongly deported Maryland steelworker has been transferred from the abusive CECOT prison to a lower-security facility in Santa Ana. Despite improved conditions, Abrego Garcia remains isolated and cut off from outside communication. Van Hollen criticized both the Salvadoran government, alleging payment for detention, and the Trump administration for its refusal to facilitate Abrego Garcia’s return despite acknowledging the deportation error. The Senator emphasized the case highlights broader threats to constitutional rights.
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Following days of uncertainty, Senator Chris Van Hollen met with Kilmar Abrego García in El Salvador, as confirmed by photos posted by President Bukele. The meeting occurred after the Senator’s earlier attempt to visit Abrego García in prison was denied. This visit followed a Supreme Court ruling ordering Abrego García’s return to the U.S., a ruling the Trump administration and Bukele have resisted, citing unsubstantiated claims of MS-13 affiliation. Despite these ongoing disputes, Senator Van Hollen relayed a message of love to Abrego Garcia’s wife.
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Senator Cory Booker plans a trip to El Salvador to pressure the Trump administration to return Kilmar Ábrego García, a Salvadorian national wrongly deported despite a Supreme Court order mandating his return. This follows Senator Chris Van Hollen’s unsuccessful attempt to meet with Ábrego García, whose case has become a focal point for Democrats criticizing the administration’s defiance of court orders. Other Democratic lawmakers are also considering visits to El Salvador to address this issue, highlighting the escalating political tension surrounding the deportation. The Trump administration, however, accuses Democrats of prioritizing undocumented immigrants over U.S. citizens.
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Maryland Senator Chris Van Hollen visited Kilmar Abrego Garcia, wrongly deported to El Salvador, meeting with him Thursday and subsequently contacting his wife. This visit follows a court order mandating Abrego Garcia’s return to the U.S., which the Trump administration has contested, arguing El Salvador holds ultimate authority. The White House condemned Van Hollen’s actions, while Abrego Garcia’s wife expressed relief. The meeting occurred despite earlier being turned away at a military checkpoint near the detention center.
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US Senator Chris Van Hollen’s recent trip to El Salvador yielded a significant development in the case of a wrongly deported man, raising crucial questions about the fairness of the US deportation system and the power dynamics at play between the US and El Salvador. The Senator’s visit, initially met with skepticism and even the expectation of failure, ultimately resulted in a face-to-face encounter with the deported individual, dispelling widespread fears that the man had been killed. This unexpected success underscores the importance of persistent political action and challenges the narrative that such efforts are futile.
The senator’s confirmation of the meeting itself is a powerful testament to the perseverance of his efforts.… Continue reading
The U.S. State Department’s $6 million payment to El Salvador for housing deported immigrants in CECOT, a maximum-security prison, raises concerns about Leahy Law compliance. Critics argue that the prison’s conditions, including allegations of torture and denial of due process, violate the law prohibiting U.S. funding of foreign security forces with credible human rights abuse allegations. The Trump administration defends its actions, citing a partnership with El Salvador to address immigration, but the legality of the payments and the treatment of detainees remain highly contested. Despite the State Department’s denial of any wrongdoing, experts and former officials express serious concerns, emphasizing the lack of access to CECOT and the consistent reports of abuse within El Salvador’s prison system.
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John Q. Hosedrinker 
Matt Underwood