Maryland Senator may return from El Salvador Thursday after push for Abrego Garcia’s release

Maryland Senator Chris Van Hollen may return from El Salvador on Thursday after advocating for the release of Kílmar Abrego García, a Maryland resident mistakenly deported despite a Supreme Court ruling in his favor.

The White House has faced criticism for defying the court's decision, while the United States Department of Justice has released new details about García’s past, including alleged gang affiliations.

Senator fights deportation ruling

What we know:

García, a husband and father of three, was arrested in 2019 during a sweep of day laborers in Hyattsville, Maryland. A judge initially denied him bond based on information from a confidential informant. However, an immigration judge later ruled García had been misidentified and granted him protection from deportation.

Van Hollen, speaking from El Salvador, said his request to meet García was denied. "I've been in El Salvador all day fighting for the return of Mr. Abrego Garcia," the Senator posted on Wednesday to X.  "The Trump Admin can lie all they want, but the Court said they failed to show he was part of MS-13. This is about bringing home a man they ADMIT should've never been abducted. I won't rest until then."

READ MORE: DOJ releases new documents on Kilmar Abrego Garcia amid fight to bring him back to US

White House defends decision

The White House has said García was involved in human trafficking and cited a 2021 protective order filed by his wife, Jennifer Vasquez. Vasquez clarified the order was a precaution after a disagreement and said the couple later sought marriage counseling.

"After surviving domestic violence in a previous relationship, I acted out of caution after a disagreement with Kilmar by seeking a civil protective order in case things escalated," Vasquez said in a statement. "Things did not escalate, and I decided not to follow through with the civil court process. We were able to work through this situation privately as a family, including by going to counseling. Our marriage only grew stronger in the years that followed. No one is perfect, and no marriage is perfect. That is not a justification for ICE's action of abducting him and deporting him to a country where he was supposed to be protected from deportation. Kilmar has always been a loving partner and father, and I will continue to stand by him and demand justice for him."

The Justice Department also released a list of recent deportations from Maryland, urging Van Hollen to focus on public safety. García’s supporters argue the deportation violates his legal protections and jeopardizes his safety in El Salvador.

WATCH VIDEO: Maryland Senator Chris Van Hollen lands in El Salvador

The Source: Information in this article comes from Maryland Senator Chris Van Hollen, the United States Department of Justice, Jennifer Vasquez, the Associated Press, and previous FOX 5 reporting.

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