'Put up in court or shut up': Senator says Trump 'abducted' constituent with 'no evidence'

18 April

On Friday, Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) arrived back in the United States after visiting his constituent, Kilmar Abrego Garcia, in the notorious El Salvador prison where he has been held for more than a month. Van Hollen only spoke with Abrego Garcia after spending multiple days on the ground in El Salvador and initially being rebuffed by President Nayib Bukele's administration and staff at the maximum security CECOT prison in the Tecoluca area.

During a press conference at Washington D.C.'s Dulles International Airport, Van Hollen specifically attacked President Donald Trump's administration for sending Abrego Garcia to a foreign prison despite him having no criminal record and not being charged with any crimes. He also pointed out that U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis already emphasized that none of the administration's claims about the man they admitted was mistakenly sent to El Salvador — like his alleged membership in the MS-13 gang — have been proven.

"I say to the president and the Trump administration, if you want to make claims about Mr. Abrego Garcia and MS-13, you should present them in the court, not over social media," Van Hollen said.

"This is a quote from her opinion: 'Defendants,' —and in this case, this is the Trump administration she's referring to — 'have offered no evidence ... linking Abrego Garcia to MS-13 or any terrorist activity. And vague allegations of gang association alone do not supersede the express protections offered under the [Immigration and Naturalization Act].'"

"In other words, put up in court or shut up," the Maryland Democrat continued. "What the Trump administration did admit in court was that Kilmar Abrego Garcia has been mistakenly detained. They called it a[n] 'administrative error.' An 'administrative error' that has resulted in him being abducted off the streets of Maryland and put into prison in El Salvador that has deprived him of his personal freedom and liberty."

Van Hollen went on to observe that the administration has so far not only failed to correct its "egregious mistake," but also ignored a unanimous ruling from the Supreme Court to "facilitate" Abrego Garcia's return to the United States. He also said the administration even took the extra step to fire the attorney who told a federal judge that Abrego Garcia's deportation was carried out erroneously.

Watch the video of Van Hollen's remarks below, or by clicking this link.

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