Maryland Sen. Chris Van Hollen traveled to El Salvador on Wednesday and met with the country's vice president to push for the release of Kilmar Abrego Garcia. Abrego Garcia was sent to a maximum-security gang prison outside of San Salvador by the Trump administration in March despite an immigration court order preventing his deportation.
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00:00You listen to President Trump and the Trump administration, you would think that the U.S. courts have found that Mr. Abrego-Garcia is part of MS-13.
00:14But in fact, they have not found that.
00:17In fact, recently a U.S. federal court judge said that the Trump administration did not have evidence to support the claim that he had ever been part of MS-13.
00:26In fact, an immigration judge found years ago that it would put his life in danger if he was returned to El Salvador.
00:37And so he was given protective status and a work permit.
00:42So I asked the vice president if Abrego-Garcia has not committed a crime and the U.S. courts have found that he was illegally taken from the United States.
00:56And the government of El Salvador has no evidence that he was part of MS-13.
01:04Why is El Salvador continuing to hold him in Seacott?
01:08And his answer was that the Trump administration is paying El Salvador, the government of El Salvador, to keep him at Seacott.