On April 18, 2025, Senator Chris Van Hollen of Maryland attempted to visit Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia, an American mistakenly deported to El Salvador, but was denied entry to the notorious Terrorism Confinement Center (CECOT). Instead, officials brought Abrego Garcia to a hotel in San Salvador, where the senator met him for a conversation. The incident underscores the growing tensions regarding the treatment of deported individuals, especially in the wake of the Trump administration's deportation policies.
Inside El Salvador’s Controversial Detention Center: A U.S. Senator’s Attempt to Visit Deported American
Inside El Salvador’s Controversial Detention Center: A U.S. Senator’s Attempt to Visit Deported American
A U.S. senator faced obstacles while seeking to visit a detainee at a prison in El Salvador, raising questions about the treatment of deportees. Here’s what transpired.
President Nayib Bukele of El Salvador highlighted the meeting on social media, jokingly portraying it as a casual encounter in a tropical paradise, even though both the senator and Abrego Garcia maintained the absence of any alcoholic drinks during their conversation. Abrego Garcia had been held in CECOT since March, and according to Van Hollen, he has now been relocated to another detention facility in Santa Ana.
CECOT, established in 2023 with U.S. funding, was initially intended as a rehabilitation center but has since transformed into a high-security facility emblematic of President Bukele’s aggressive stance against gang activity in the country. Its reputation, described as a "megaprison," reflects the broader issues surrounding human rights and the treatment of deportees within Central American detention systems. The senator's visit sparked renewed discussion about the implications of such facilities under U.S. immigration policies.
CECOT, established in 2023 with U.S. funding, was initially intended as a rehabilitation center but has since transformed into a high-security facility emblematic of President Bukele’s aggressive stance against gang activity in the country. Its reputation, described as a "megaprison," reflects the broader issues surrounding human rights and the treatment of deportees within Central American detention systems. The senator's visit sparked renewed discussion about the implications of such facilities under U.S. immigration policies.
