After Maryland Sen. Chris Van Hollen made a much-publicized trip to El Salvador to visit an illegal alien who was deported there by President Donald Trump’s administration, it didn’t take long for Republicans to let his constituents know who he really cared about.
As you’ve probably heard if you’re following the case, Van Hollen took a field trip to Central America to visit Kilmar Abrego Garcia, the alleged gang member who was sent back to his native country and its CECOT prison despite a court order noting that while Abrego Garcia was deportable, he couldn’t be deported to the country because of what he said is a credible fear of retribution from gangs.
The administration, meanwhile, contends that Abrego Garcia is a member of the MS-13 gang, a group that has been designated as a terrorist organization, which would, they argue, remove any protections against deportation to El Salvador issued by American courts — even if government lawyers have said during proceedings that it was initially an administrative oversight.
The administration has been ordered to “facilitate” his return by the Supreme Court, but White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said that whether he’s released or not is up to the Salvadorians, noting that “it’s the administration’s responsibility to facilitate the return, not to effectuate the return.”
.@PressSec: “The Supreme Court made their ruling last night very clear that it’s the administration’s responsibility to facilitate the return, not to effectuate the return,” of the deported MS-13 gang member and human trafficker. pic.twitter.com/olKbsjbaTN
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) April 11, 2025
Into the midst of this mess charged Sen. Chris Van Hollen of Maryland, a man you probably hadn’t ever heard of before this unless you 1) lived in Maryland, 2) are addicted to politics, or 3) are related to or work for Chris Van Hollen. Ever the publicity hound, Van Hollen promised he was going to El Salvador and wouldn’t stop until he met with the accused gang member and spousal abuser the media is busy portraying as a “Maryland father.”
The two met this week at what appears to be a Salvadorian Olive Garden:
BREAKING: Hallmark Channel announces new romantic comedy based on the Kilmer Abrego Garcia-Chris Van Hollen story. pic.twitter.com/m0ArNbk515
— Rob Jenkins (@profontheright) April 20, 2025
Do you support this illegal immigrant’s deportation?
After the pseudo-event junket garnered Van Hollen the press that he wanted, GOP Rep. Mike Collins of Georgia decided to remind everybody of where the attention of the man who’s supposed to be representing Marylanders really lies:
Hey @ChrisVanHollen, I went ahead and changed your office plaque for you. pic.twitter.com/jNMKnbCWw3
— Rep. Mike Collins (@RepMikeCollins) April 18, 2025
Yes, apparently Collins changed Van Hollen’s office plaque to read that he’s the senator from El Salvador. Collins had previously called him “traitorous” for meeting with an accused MS-13 gang member.
This is a sitting U.S. Senator consoling an MS-13 gang member. Traitorous. https://t.co/zKCLa4vnwa
— Rep. Mike Collins (@RepMikeCollins) April 18, 2025
So, is the plaque change childish? Not really. Consider who he’s defending. When asked on CNN on Sunday whether he was certain that he wasn’t a member of the violent transnational gang, or whether he even asked Abrego Garcia whether he was, Van Hollen changed the subject by saying that “what Donald Trump is trying to do here is change the subject.”
BASH: “Can you say with absolute certainty that he is not, nor has he ever been a member of the MS-13 gang, and did you ask him point blank?”
VAN HOLLEN: “What Donald Trump is trying to do here is change the subject. The subject at hand is that he and his administration are… pic.twitter.com/QlXZZANLXf
— State of the Union (@CNNSOTU) April 20, 2025
And consider that this reportedly was all on the taxpayer dime.
🚨BREAKING🚨 Democratic Maryland Sen. Chris Van Hollen’s trip to El Salvador to try to secure the return of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a deported illegal alien, was likely funded by taxpayers, six individuals familiar with congressional travel tell the Daily Caller. pic.twitter.com/GJg1DtEePw
— Daily Caller (@DailyCaller) April 17, 2025
He didn’t use that money to visit with his constituents; he used it to visit an illegal alien deported to his home country for good reason. If he wants to raise a stink about the court order, raise it here. Don’t spend taxpayers’ money on a trip that did little except to elevate Van Hollen’s profile in the Democratic Party.
Of course, El Salvador doesn’t get senators. Maryland does. He can only serve one constituency, and kudos to Collins for making it clear what his choice, at present, seems to be.
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