As Townhall has been covering, Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) has been awfully concerned for Kilmar Abrego Garcia, an illegal immigrant from El Salvador dubbed "Maryland Man" by Democrats and the media.
While the Trump administration has released evidence that Abrego Garcia is a gang member of MS-13, the same day that Van Hollen was traveling to El Salvador to try to meet with Abrego Garcia, it's an issue that the senator won't speak to. Van Hollen also has a rather particular narrative, however, about why he went to meet with the man who crossed into the United States illegally.
The guy @ChrisVanHollen is trying to get back into the U.S. had a very long criminal record. A police gang unit confirmed his membership in MS-13 five years ago after he was arrested during a murder investigation. He admitted being in the U.S. illegally. Maryland’s “sanctuary”… https://t.co/BiSe6yArIX pic.twitter.com/zOhBpH0tNJ
— Katie Pavlich (@KatiePavlich) April 16, 2025
I just landed in San Salvador a little while ago, and I look forward to meeting with the team at the U.S. embassy to discuss the release of Mr. Abrego Garcia.
— Senator Chris Van Hollen (@ChrisVanHollen) April 16, 2025
I also hope to meet with Salvadoran officials and with Kilmar himself. He was illegally abducted and needs to come home. pic.twitter.com/MzKe7U8Wwr
As Guy covered, Van Hollen was asked during his appearance on CNN's "State of the Union" by moderator Dana Bash if he could say for certain if Abrego Garcia was or was not a member of MS-13. He insisted on relying on Abrego Garcia's own claims that he was not a member.
Not only did Van Hollen not properly answer the question, as he instead went after the Trump administration and President Donald Trump, claiming they were "trying to change the subject," but he also focused on something else. He went with a narrative that tried to link Abrego Garcia with American citizens with the warnings he provided.
He spoke about the need for Abrego Garcia to be "given his due process rights under the Constitution." Van Hollen also referenced "whatever the rule of law dictates" when Bash asked if he would be okay if Abrego Garcia "were at the end of this ultimately deported?"
"But, right now, we have a lawless president. We have a lawless president. Now, let's be clear," Van Hollen went on to rant. "We have a lawless president who is ignoring the order of the Supreme Court of the United States to facilitate his return. That's what's going on right now," which Bash concurred with. "That is a risk to all of us," Van Hollen insisted.
🚨Van Hollen REFUSES to say Abrego-Garcia isn’t in MS13:
— Western Lensman (@WesternLensman) April 20, 2025
Bash: Can you say with absolute certainty that [Abrego-Garcia] is not, nor has he ever been a member of MS13?
Van Hollen: Accuses Trump of trying to "change the subject” — as he then changes the subject: “So I’m not going… pic.twitter.com/HcA8mMXOT6
While that CNN appearance has gained particular attention, it wasn't the only Sunday show Van Hollen did. He did plenty more, including CBS News' "Face the Nation."
"You also said that you did not directly ask Abrego Garcia whether he is a member of MS-13, which, of course, the Trump administration has designated as a terrorist group," moderator Weijia Jiang pointed out. "I wonder why, because that is all we are hearing from the White House."
Van Hollen dismissed the need to ask Abrego Garcia about MS-13, claiming, "I know his answer," as Abrego Garcia has "repeatedly" claimed he is not a member. "I was not there to litigate all the details of his case. I was there to make sure that he was still alive and check on his health. That's what I promised his wife and family that I would try to do, and that is what I did," Van Hollen offered.
He also claimed that the Trump administration is "in defiance of that court order" from the U.S. Supreme Court regarding Abrego Garcia, just before he made another point. "I want to be really clear. This is not a case about just one man whose constitutional rights are being ignored and disrespected, because, when you trample on the constitutional rights of one man, as the courts have all said is happening in this case, you threaten the constitutional rights of every American," he claimed. "I would think that conservatives and libertarians would recoil at the idea that someone has lost his liberty without due process. That's my focus. My focus is not on one man. It's on making sure one man's rights are secured, so that we can uphold the rule of law."
But Abrego Garcia admitted to coming here illegally, and should not be lumped in with American citizens and legal immigrants. They are not threatened by what is happening to this "Maryland man."
Van Hollen was also on ABC News' "This Week," with the show beginning by playing a clip of the senator claiming, "We need to bring Mr. Abrego Garcia home to protect his constitutional rights to due process." Just before Van Hollen came on, the show played another clip. "If you deny the constitutional rights of one man, you threaten the constitutional rights and due process for everyone else in America," the senator insisted.
We are releasing additional information on Kilmar Abrego Garcia.https://t.co/RbZkFvuRaf
— Attorney General Pamela Bondi (@AGPamBondi) April 16, 2025
As Van Hollen was explaining his trip, he also made a claim about his reason for the visit. "My goal was to meet with him," he shared about Abrego Garcia. "And make sure I could tell his wife and family he was OK. That was my goal. And I achieved that goal," he continued, despite how he was denied from seeing Abrego Garcia when he first arrived.
Van Hollen also went after President Donald Trump and El Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele.
"My whole purpose here is to make sure that we observe the rule of law, the Constitution, and due process rights," Van Hollen stressed. "It just goes to show the lengths that Bukele and Trump will go to try to deceive people about what this case is all about. What this case is all about is simply complying with the Supreme Court order to facilitate his return and make sure he gets due process," he added, similar to his claims made to Bash on CNN, showing this too is indeed a pattern.
In criticizing Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA) for referring to the incident as a "distraction," Van Hollen not only showed how Democrats are in disarray, but again repeated the narrative he's stuck to. "I don't think it's ever wrong to protect the Constitution and protect due process rights. I think conservative and libertarians when they think about this case, the idea of somebody being deprived of their liberty and actually in a foreign prison without due process of law, that's something we should all fight for," he insisted, when polls actually show that Americans agree with Trump's deportation efforts. "I think what Americans are tired of is people who want to put their finger to the wind to see what's going on. And I would say that anyone that's not prepared to defend the constitutional rights of one man when they threaten the constitutional rights of all doesn't deserve to lead," Van Hollen still claimed.
Abrego Garcia's MS-13 affiliation, as well as the evidence the Trump administration has provided again came up, with Jonathan Karl asking Van Hollen's response to that. As he specifically asked, "Are you concerned about your defense of somebody – obviously, everybody in this country – even those undocumented immigrants have rights. But are you concerned about standing so forcefully with somebody that has, you know, at least a questionable record?"
That led to still another curious claim from Van Hollen. "I am not defending the man. I'm defending the rights of this man to due process, and the Trump administration has admitted in court that he was wrongfully detained and wrongfully deported," he claimed. The admissions were that there was an "administrative error" involved, in that Abrego Garcia was not meant to be deported to El Salvador.
"My mission and my purpose is to make sure that we uphold the rule of law because if we take it away for – from him, we do jeopardize it for everybody else," Van Hollen added about this illegal immigrant, claiming once more and throughout the segment on this and other programs that "the Trump administration is trying to change the story. They're trying to distract attention. Here's where they should put their facts: they should put it before the court."
Van Hollen still continued to defend Abrego Garcia's supposed "due process rights," with even Karl joining in to agree.
Maryland Sen. Chris Van Hollen describes his meeting with Kilmar Abrego Garcia in El Salvador.
— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) April 20, 2025
"The Salvadoran authorities tried to deceive people. They tried to make it look like he was in paradise." https://t.co/CB4ds4BOgX pic.twitter.com/VvekLMi59J
That episode of "This Week" also featured Tom Homan savaging Van Hollen for traveling to El Salvador on the taxpayer dime, as Matt covered, and Reince Priebus dismantling the Democrats' argument on Abrego Garcia and deportations of illegal immigrants, as covered earlier.
Van Hollen spoke to his usual narratives on NBC News' "Meet the Press" as well, which included how "what Donald Trump is trying to do is change the subject. Let's make no – make no bones about that, right?" That was his response to what was a rather fitting question from moderator Kristen Welker who asked if Abrego Garcia's past was "complicating the broader argument that you are trying to make here about due process?" That and him being an illegal immigrant.
Not only did Van Hollen rant and rave about the courts, he even claimed "yes, we are" in a constitutional crisis when asked such a question by Welker.
The segment referenced Newsom. "I don't think it's ever wrong to stand up for the constitution. And this is not about one man. If you deny the constitutional rights of one man, you threaten the constitutional rights for everybody. I think Americans are tired of elected officials or politicians who are all finger to the wind, what's blowing this way, what's blowing that way. And anybody who can't stand up for the constitution and the right of due process doesn't deserve to lead," the senator claimed in response to the California governor's comments.
Sen. John Kennedy (R-LA) was on the program as well, as Sister Toldjah covered for our sister site RedState.
"Well, Chris is my friend. And I respect him. And he's certainly entitled to his opinion. But in my judgment, he is utterly and gloriously wrong. I mean, most of this gauzy rhetoric is just rage bait. Unless you’re next-level obtuse, you know that Mr. Garcia is never coming back to the United States ever. And that's not because of President Trump. That's because of President Bukele. He said up front in the Oval Office that he was not going to return Mr. Garcia," Kennedy offered.
He also made another key point, which is that a federal judge does not have the authority over a sovereign country. Kennedy went after Van Hollen's rantings on due process as well. "The other point I would make is that Chris says Mr. Garcia's had no due process. He's been in front of 17 judges, some of 'em twice, probably $5 million worth of legal fees and he hadn't had to pay a dime," he pointed out.
Sen John Kennedy Unloads on Van Hollen: Gloriously Wrong’ on Garcia’s Return
— Mr Producer (@RichSementa) April 20, 2025
"Chris is my friend. And I respect him. And he's certainly entitled to his opinion. But in my judgment, he is utterly and gloriously wrong. I mean, most of this gauzy rhetoric is just rage bait. Unless… pic.twitter.com/quEgToiZnF
