Democratic lawmakers travel to El Salvador to support return of Kilmar Abrego Garcia
The Brief
Four Democratic lawmakers, including Florida Rep. Maxwell Frost, traveled to El Salvador to visit a deported man accused of MS-13 ties.
The Supreme Court had ordered Kilmar Abrego Garcia's return, but the Trump-era deportation remains in dispute.
Republicans criticized the trip, while Frost said constituents fear similar actions could affect them.
ORLANDO, Fla. - Four more Democratic lawmakers, including a Florida Congressman, traveled to El Salvador to visit an illegal immigrant and suspected MS-13 gang member deported by President Donald Trump's administration.
What we know
Four Democratic lawmakers, including Florida Rep. Maxwell Frost, traveled to El Salvador on Monday to meet with Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a man deported during the Trump administration who has been accused of gang affiliation. The lawmakers say Garcia, who had been living in Maryland, held protected legal status and was unlawfully removed from the U.S. despite a Supreme Court order calling for his return.
The delegation included Reps. Robert Garcia of California, Yassamin Ansari of Arizona, and Maxine Dexter of Oregon. Their visit was self-funded after the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform denied the travel request.
What we don't know
It remains unclear whether the Trump administration will ultimately comply with the Supreme Court's directive to facilitate Garcia's return. The specific grounds of the legal protections Garcia allegedly held have not been publicly disclosed, nor have the full details of the gang accusations levied against him by Maryland police. Additionally, the extent to which Garcia's deportation process followed standard procedures remains in question.
The backstory
Kilmar Abrego Garcia, originally from El Salvador, had been living in Maryland before he was deported under the Trump administration. Officials at the time cited an accusation from Maryland law enforcement that linked Garcia to MS-13, a notorious criminal gang. Garcia has denied any gang affiliation. The deportation took place despite what the visiting lawmakers say was his eligibility for legal protection within the U.S.
Last week, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the federal government must "facilitate" Garcia's return. However, administration officials have doubled down on their previous position, maintaining that Garcia poses a security threat due to alleged gang ties.
Big picture view
The controversy strikes at the heart of ongoing debates over immigration policy, judicial authority, and political optics. For Democrats, the case serves as a symbol of what they view as overreach and injustice under Trump-era immigration enforcement. For Republicans, it raises concerns about national security and questions the priorities of Democratic lawmakers amid global and domestic crises.
Florida, which has a significant immigrant population, has emerged as a flashpoint in the dispute.
What they're saying
Congressman Frost said in an interview on Monday with FOX News that he was getting calls from his constituents asking him to go because they are worried the same thing could happen to them.
"I represent a lot of immigrants, I represent a lot of people who see themselves represented in this situation. They're saying, 'Congressman, do what you can now, because it's him today and it can be one of us tomorrow,'" explained Rep. Frost.
Meanwhile, some Florida Republicans say it would be absurd to bring him back to the U.S.
"Why would you bring him back? He's not from here. They sent him home to El Salvador. He wasn't supposed to be in the United States," said Republican Congressman Randy Fine. "These congressmen could have spent the last year and a half going to Israel to try to bring back Americans who are held hostage. Instead, they go to El Salvador to meet with an illegal immigrant gang member who beat his wife. I don't know what's wrong with these people, but they need their heads examined," he continued.
After the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform denied the request for the trip, Frost said he ended up paying for it out-of-pocket.
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The Source
This story was written based on information shared by Fox News, Reps. Maxwell Frost and Randy Fine.
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