Senator Chris Van Hollen appeared on CNN and delivered a powerful criticism of former President Donald Trump, focusing on the recent wrongful deportation of Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia. Garcia, a Maryland resident and father of three children, was deported to El Salvador after U.S. officials accused him of being a member of the violent MS-13 gang. However, this accusation has been firmly denied by both his legal team and a federal judge.
Garcia originally entered the United States without legal documents in 2011. Despite that, a U.S. judge ruled that he should not be sent back to El Salvador because he was facing death threats from a gang in his home country. The judge found that sending him back would likely put his life in danger. Still, the Trump administration went ahead with the deportation, ignoring that court ruling. Since then, Garcia’s family has filed a lawsuit against the government for what they believe was a serious mistake.
Van Hollen spoke with emotion and urgency about the broader implications of this case. He told CNN that what happened to Garcia is not just about one man — it’s about the rights of every person living in America. He said that when the government decides to ignore one person’s constitutional rights, it puts everyone’s rights in danger. According to Van Hollen, no one who refuses to defend the Constitution should be allowed to lead the country.
When asked whether he had spoken to Garcia about the MS-13 allegations, Van Hollen admitted he hadn’t directly asked him. He explained that he already knew what Garcia’s response would be and shared that Garcia expressed feeling deeply sad and traumatized. Garcia told him that he had not committed any crimes and didn’t understand why he was being treated like a criminal.
Van Hollen didn’t hold back in blaming Trump and his administration for using the case to shift attention away from their legal responsibilities. He said the Trump team is more interested in arguing on social media than following the law. Instead of respecting the court’s decision, Van Hollen accused them of deliberately ignoring it. He stressed that the courts had made it clear: bringing Garcia back to the United States requires real action, not just words or delays. But the administration, he said, is doing absolutely nothing.
According to Van Hollen, this inaction is not just irresponsible — it’s a direct violation of the court’s orders. He emphasized that the court had clearly told the administration to facilitate Garcia’s return, and doing nothing is not an option. He accused the administration of acting as if they are above the law.
He ended by saying that if the Trump team truly believed in their case, they should take it to court and fight it properly. Instead, he said, they are trying to sway public opinion online while ignoring the justice system. Van Hollen made it clear that what’s at stake here is not just one man’s life, but the very rule of law in the United States.
