WASHINGTON — In a sharp rebuke during Sunday’s national broadcast, Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Md..) accused the Trump administration of “outright defying” court orders to facilitate the return of Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia, a Maryland man who was wrongfully deported to El Salvador.
Van Hollen, speaking on NBC’s Meet the Press, said the administration is “They are flouting the courts as we speak,” he said on NBC’s “Meet the Press.” “Facilitating his return means something more than doing nothing, and they are doing nothing.”
by refusing to take meaningful steps toward bringing Abrego Garcia back to the U.S., as ordered by both the Supreme Court and a federal appeals court.
The senator had just returned from a trip to El Salvador, where he met with Abrego Garcia, who is currently being held in a notorious prison. The 28-year-old was deported in March in what government lawyers have described as an “administrative error,” despite his pending legal proceedings in the U.S.
While courts have issued rulings directing the government to facilitate Abrego Garcia’s return, the Trump administration has instead doubled down on efforts to discredit him. In recent days, officials released details of a 2021 domestic dispute and a 2022 police traffic stop, neither of which resulted in criminal charges.
Abrego Garcia’s wife addressed the claims, saying they had resolved their issues privately and disputed the human trafficking suspicions, explaining that her husband regularly transported coworkers.
“What Donald Trump is trying to do is change the subject,” Van Hollen said Sunday. “Put up or shut up in court instead of litigating this through social media.”
In a controversial move, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt also brought the mother of Rachel Morin, a woman tragically murdered by an undocumented immigrant, to a press briefing. The case has no connection to Abrego Garcia, and critics say it was meant to stoke fear and distract from the ongoing legal battle.
A federal judge has dismissed the government’s claims linking Abrego Garcia to the violent MS-13 gang as “unsubstantiated,” noting that the accusation was based on nothing more than his attire , a Chicago Bulls hoodie, and a cap.
Van Hollen expressed deep sympathy for Morin’s family but stressed the importance of separating justice from political theater.
“I’m very glad that the killer of Rachel has been convicted in a court of law — that is how we hold guilty people accountable,” Van Hollen said.
“You can crack down and hold guilty people accountable and also respect the due process rights of everybody who is in court,” he added. “I am not sure why Abrego Garcia’s rights should be denied based on an awful murder that he had absolutely nothing to do with.”
He also warned that mishandling this case sets a dangerous precedent. “When you trample on the constitutional rights of one man, you threaten the constitutional rights of every American,” he said. “This is not a case about just one man whose constitutional rights are being ignored and disrespected.”
Responding to fellow Democrats like California Governor Gavin Newsom, who called the issue a “distraction,” Van Hollen didn’t hold back. “I think Americans are tired of elected officials or politicians putting a finger to the wind,” Van Hollen said, when asked specifically about Newsom’s comment. “Anyone who can’t stand for the constitution doesn’t deserve to lead.”
As the legal battle continues, Abrego Garcia remains behind bars in El Salvador, caught between international politics and a growing fight over the soul of American justice.
