The prisoners look out of their cell as secretary of the Ministry of Homeland, Kristi Noem, on March 26, 2025 in Tecoluca, El Salvador. (Photo by Alex Brandon-Pool/Getty Images)
The US Senator Chris van Hollen said on Thursday that soldiers blocked him Entry into a notorious mega prison In El Salvador, where the most false most than a month has been held in Maryland.
The Maryland Democrat came to the Central American country on Wednesday to bring Abarmo Garcia, which admitted the Ministry of Justice approved in court, back to the United States or at least according to its well -being. He met El Salvador Vice President Félix Ulloa that day, who denied his inquiries, either to be able to visit or make calls with Abrego Garcia.
Van Hollen informed the reporters on Thursday afternoon that he tried again this morning to contact Abrego Garcia.
In 2019, a US immigration judge granted a protective arrangement that the sending of Abego Garcia, a Salvadoranian citizen, would bring back to his home country.
Accompanied by Chris Newman – the lawyer of Abrego Garcia’s wife and his mother – Van Hollen said that they tried to enter Centro de Concenamiento del Terrorismo, or she Cecot, But soldiers stopped at a checkpoint about three kilometers from prison.
“We told the soldiers that they were ordered not to allow us to continue,” said Van Hollen.
Van Hollen said that since Abrego Garcia was sent to Cecot, he did not speak to someone outside of the prison walls, and “this inability to communicate with his lawyers is a violation of international law.”
The senator pointed out that El Salvador a party International Confederation on civil and political rights.
“This covenant says, and I quote:” A detained or imprisoned person is entitled to communicate with his legal advisor and advise himself, “he said.
Van Hollen also said that he met with the US message in El Salvador and discussed “the entire spectrum of important bilateral relationships between the United States and El Salvador”.
The Press spokesman for the White House, Karoline Leavitt and other Republicans, criticized Van Hollen to do the trip, and repeated the accusation that Abrego Garcia is a gang member.
Representatives of the White House and DHS did not respond to messages that aimed at a comment on Thursday.
Legal remedy court judges of the administration of the administration
In the meantime, the case of Abrego Garcia continues to work as a flashpoint conflict between two government branches that have led to the abyss of a constitutional crisis.
On Thursday, A Federal Court of Justice The recent appointment of the government dismantled and said that the government had done “essentially nothing” to try to return Abrego Garcia in accordance with the order of the Supreme Court of the last week.
A three-judge committee for the US Court of Appeal for the fourth circle said that the executive was due to the implementation of foreign policy, but that the inactivity of the administration in the search for Abego Garcias return to the judicial order.
The unanimous decision was made by judge J. Harvie Wilkinson III. Fourth circle, nominated by the Republican President Ronald Reagan. The other two judges, Robert Bruce King and Stephanie Thacker, were nominated by democratic President Bill Clinton and Barack Obama.
“The government applies a right to prevent the residents of this country in foreign prisons without the appearance of a proper procedure that is the basis of our constitutional arrangement. In addition, it essentially claims that because it can free itself from custody that nothing can be done,” wrote the committee. “This should not only be shocking for judges, but also for the intuitive feeling of freedom that the Americans are far from the court buildings that still love each other.”
The appeal regulation reacted to the government’s appeal US district judge Paula Xinis’ command of this week So that the Trump administration provides evidence of how it should lend a hand with the release of Abego Garcias from Cecot.
The Supreme Court of the United States decided last week that the Trump government has to “facilitate” its return to the United States.
In an unusually open language, the panel of the fourth circle warned the conflict between the executive and judicial branches on Thursday the basis of the US government.
“If the executive today claims the right to proper procedure and with disregarding court orders, what assurance will there be tomorrow that it will not deport American citizens and then reject responsibility to bring them home?” Asked the court. “And what assurance should the executive not develop its broad discretion powers on their political enemies? The threat, even if not the topicality, would always be there.”
Towards the end of the order, the committee asked the administration to obey the judiciary.
“We are still hoping that it is not naive to perceive our good brothers in the executive as important for American ethos,” wrote the judges. “In this case, the unique chance is to confirm this value and summon the best that is in us while still time.”
None of the state countries take measures
The panel of the fourth circuit pointed out that the leaders of the United States and El Salvador claimed that they had no authority to return Abrego Garcia.
“We are told that neither The government has the authority to act, “they wrote.
During a visit to the White House this week, El Salvador President Nayib Bukele said he would not bring Abrego Garcia back to the United States.
The Trump government has admitted in court that Abrego Garcia’s deportation is due to an “administrative error”. The administration continues to accuse him of being part of the gang MS-13, although no charges or convictions were convicted of crimes against him, including crimes related to gangs.
Jacob Fischler contributed to this report.
