Maryland Democrat says he was denied access to Abrego Garcia in El Salvador
Abrego Garcia, a union sheet metal worker and father of three from Maryland, was wrongly deported to the Central American country in March. He was taken to the notorious Terrorism Confinement Center, or CECOT, before being transferred to a facility with better conditions in April.
Ivey, who flew to El Salvador on May 23, told WJZ-TV in an interview that the U.S. ambassador to El Salvador had informed the Salvadoran government of his visit, but he was denied access to see Abrego Garcia.
In April, Sen. Chris Van Hollen, also a Maryland Democrat, traveled to El Salvador and met with Abrego Garcia. And four House Democrats took a trip in April to El Salvador and were briefed by the U.S. embassy on his case.
In a video clip shared on X on May 27, Ivey said he was told he needed a permit.
'They knew we were coming, they knew why we were coming, and they know we have the right to do this. So, they need to just cut the crap, let us get in there and have a chance to see him and talk with him,' Ivey said.
In response to Ivey's post, the Department of Homeland Security posted, "While the mainstream media and politicians are fighting to bring a foreign terrorist and gang member back to U.S. soil, @POTUS Trump and @Sec_Noem are fighting for the victims of alien crime and putting the safety of Americans FIRST."
The Trump administration insists Abrego Garcia is a member of the MS-13 gang, but a federal judge has questioned the strength of the government's evidence. Abrego Garcia denies being a gang member and has no criminal convictions.
The Supreme Court ordered the Trump administration to "facilitate" the release of Abrego Garcia, but the Justice Department has argued it does not have the authority to return him to the United States because he is in a foreign country.
U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis in Maryland said during a hearing on May 16 that the Justice Department had not made a 'good faith' effort to comply with her request to provide information on what the government was doing to bring Abrego Garcia back to the United States.
Contributing: Nick Penzenstadler and Eduardo Cuevas
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Maryland Democrat says he was denied access to meet Abrego Garcia
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