This article has been updated.
The four Democratic lawmakers who traveled to El Salvador in an attempt to meet with Kilmar Abrego Garcia, deported last month by the Trump administration, were blocked by local authorities, who cited that the visit was not officially authorized.
House Oversight Chairman James Comer (R-KY) confirmed on X that El Salvador refused to meet with the group of Democratic lawmakers after their arrival.
"El Salvador just denied Democrats from meeting with the MS-13 gang member because they didn't travel to the country in an official capacity. I will never authorize a penny of taxpayer dollars to send Democrats to El Salvador for a photo-op & margaritas," Comer wrote on X.
🚨UPDATE: El Salvador just denied Democrats from meeting with the MS-13 gang member because they didn't travel to the country in an official capacity.
— Rep. James Comer (@RepJamesComer) April 21, 2025
I will never authorize a penny of taxpayer dollars to send Democrats to El Salvador for a photo-op & margaritas. @FoxNews pic.twitter.com/OERnOyzQqY
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In a move that perfectly captures the Democratic Party’s warped priorities, more left-wing lawmakers are traveling to El Salvador to advocate for Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a deported illegal immigrant with alleged ties to MS-13, a history of domestic abuse accusations, and suspected involvement in human trafficking. Instead of standing with law-abiding American citizens, these Democrats are going out of their way to defend a criminal alien, proving once again that protecting the border and enforcing immigration laws are the last things on their agenda.
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In addition to Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) traveling to El Salvador to advocate for Abrego Garcia, four more Democratic lawmakers have followed suit. Reps. Yassamin Ansari (D-AZ), Maxine Dexter (D-OR), Maxwell Frost (D-FL), and Robert Garcia (D-CA) arrived in the country on Sunday to assess the deported illegal immigrant’s condition.
Abrego Garcia was living in the United States for more than a decade before the Trump administration deported him— a move that Democrats and liberal media say was a “mistake” despite being an illegal immigrant.
Ansari criticized the Trump administration when asked about their trip, accusing it of disregarding the Supreme Court and violating due process.
“To see the Trump administration so blatantly and egregiously defy the Supreme Court and have no regard for due process is extremely alarming to me,” Ansari said in an interview. “Even with all of the illegal actions we’ve seen over the last couple of months, I think this is the one that terrifies me the most when it comes to the future of our democracy.”
Garcia praised Van Hollen’s efforts to bring Abrego Garcia back to the United States despite being an MS-13 gang member, wife-beater, and illegal criminal.
“Those of us in the House who are here greatly admire and support what Sen. Van Hollen did,” Garcia said. “His family knew that he was safe, but he’s not home, and so we’ve got to continue the pressure, and we’ve got to ensure that the rule of law in the United States is allowed.”
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