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Ábrego Transferred After Senator’s Visit; Deportation Case Continues
SANTA ANA, El Salvador – Kilmar Ábrego García, a migrant previously deported from the united States despite pending protection status, has been moved from the Cecot high-security prison to a detention centre near Santa Ana. Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., announced the transfer following a meeting with Ábrego in El Salvador.
Ábrego reported improved conditions at the new facility, noting he is no longer housed with 25 other inmates in a single cell. Though, he remains without contact with the outside world.
Background: Deportation and Asylum Claim
Ábrego, 29, is a native of El Salvador. U.S. media reports indicate he fled gang violence and entered the United States around 2011. while his asylum request was denied in 2019, he was granted temporary protection based on fears of political persecution.
Senator Alleges “Kidnapping”
Van Hollen has characterized Ábrego’s deportation as a “kidnapping.” He stated that while government lawyers have cited an administrative error, this error resulted in Ábrego, a Maryland resident, being “kidnapped by the streets” and imprisoned in El Salvador. The senator emphasized the importance of protecting the constitutional rights of all U.S. residents.”If you refuse a man’s constitutional rights, you threaten the constitutional rights and proper procedures for everyone else in America,” Van Hollen said.
“Margarita Gate” Controversy
Following the meeting, El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele posted a message on X, formerly Twitter, referencing Ábrego sipping “Margaritas” with Van Hollen in El Salvador.Bukele’s post followed the publication of a photo showing the two men at a table with glasses of water and coffee.
Van Hollen addressed what he called “Margarita Gate,” explaining that he and Ábrego were drinking water when a government employee placed glasses on the table that appeared to contain margaritas. He stated that neither he nor Ábrego drank from the beverages, but the optics suggested otherwise because Ábrego’s glass was partially empty.
Legal Challenges and Supreme Court Involvement
The deportation has faced legal challenges in the United States. A federal judge previously ordered the U.S. government to facilitate Ábrego’s return. The case has since reached the U.S. Supreme court and remains under legal review.