Sen. Chris Van Hollen confirmed taxpayers funded his trip to El Salvador to meet with alleged MS-13 gang member Kilmar Abrego Garcia. El Salvador President Nayib Bukele mocked the situation by sharing photos of Van Hollen and Abrego Garcia supposedly enjoying margaritas. Van Hollen defended the trip as “an officially cleared congressional trip” approved on a bipartisan basis.
Senator’s Taxpayer-Funded Trip Stirs Controversy
Democratic Senator Chris Van Hollen of Maryland has confirmed that American taxpayers paid for his controversial trip to El Salvador, where he met with Kilmar Abrego Garcia, an alleged MS-13 gang member who was deported from the United States. The confirmation came during an exchange with Fox News’ Shannon Bream, who directly questioned the funding source. Van Hollen defended the expenditure, claiming that it was “an officially cleared congressional trip—cleared on a bipartisan basis.” When asked if taxpayers paid for the trip, he simply replied, “Yes, just like any other.”
The meeting has sparked strong criticism from a variety of sources, including the White House, which issued a statement condemning Van Hollen’s agenda. “Chris Van Hollen has firmly established Democrats as the party whose top priority is the welfare of an illegal alien MS-13 terrorist,” the White House said in an interview with the New York Post. Documents released by U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi show Abrego Garcia’s active MS-13 membership and previous domestic abuse allegations, adding to the controversy.
Senator Chris Van Hollen is a vile, spineless fraud. This pathetic excuse for a U.S. senator sat grinning and schmoozing with an illegal alien thug in El Salvador who beats his wife bloody, treating him like some decorated hero. Revolting.
Meanwhile, VanHollen is SILENT 👇🏼 pic.twitter.com/lrmTlECzpZ
— Kambree (@KamVTV) April 18, 2025
El Salvador’s President mocks Senator in Photos
El Salvador President Nayib Bukele escalated the diplomatic tension by releasing photos showing Van Hollen and Abrego Garcia together, appearing to enjoy drinks at an outdoor location. Bukele sarcastically captioned the images on social media: “Kilmar Abrego Garcia, miraculously risen from the ‘death camps’ & ‘torture,’ now sipping margaritas with Sen. Van Hollen in the tropical paradise of El Salvador.” The images directly contradicted earlier narratives about harsh prison conditions and alleged mistreatment of deportees in El Salvador’s facilities.
Van Hollen has disputed the authenticity of the scene, claiming the Salvadoran government planted the drinks to frame him. The senator had initially been denied entry to the CECOT prison facility where Abrego Garcia was held but later met with him after he was reportedly transferred to a detention center. The senator’s office maintains that the visit was part of legitimate efforts to advocate for due process in deportation cases.
You might say in comparison to this Easter weekend, Van Hollen is comparable to those that held market in the temple. He, too, is attempting to transform our country into a "den of thieves." https://t.co/ofuE74OHmL
— Amen Oneill (@oneil_alen) April 21, 2025
History of the Deportation Case
Kilmar Abrego Garcia, who was deported from Maryland for illegal residency and alleged gang membership, is at the center of this diplomatic row. The Trump administration claimed he was a member of MS-13 and deported him despite court orders to return him to the United States. Van Hollen’s supporters describe this as a clerical error. Abrego Garcia was removed under the Alien Enemies Act despite not having been charged with a crime in the United States and denying any gang affiliations.
An immigration judge previously ordered Abrego Garcia’s deportation, which was later upheld by an appeals court. His wife, Jennifer Vasquez Sura, has been advocating for his release and return to the United States, citing legal arguments against deportation. Van Hollen’s trip was intended to discuss Abrego Garcia’s situation with both US embassy officials and Salvadoran authorities, as part of his office’s efforts to address constituent concerns about Maryland residents being separated from their families.