Sen. Chris Van Hollen Compares Trump Admin To 'authoritarian Government' During El Salvador Trip

Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., suggested nan U.S. was connected its measurement to "tyranny" connected Wednesday during an question and reply from El Salvador while connected a travel to sojourn Kilmar Abrego Garcia, comparing nan Trump management to an authoritarian government. 

"This is for illustration taking distant people’s freedom. That does not sound for illustration a blimpish thought to me. That is thing that, of course, authoritarian governments prosecute in. And it’s a very accelerated roadworthy to tyranny if we don’t each guidelines up against it," Van Hollen told MSNBC's Rachel Maddow. 

Garcia, a 29-year-old forbidden immigrant, was deported to nan El Salvadoran megaprison "Terrorism Confinement Center" (CECOT) past month, and officials acknowledged successful tribunal his deportation was an administrative error, though now immoderate apical Trump officials opportunity he was correctly removed and contend he's a personnel of nan notorious MS-13 gang. Both a national tribunal and nan Supreme Court person ordered nan Trump management to "facilitate" his merchandise and return to nan U.S. for due deportation proceedings. 

Van Hollen announced that he was going to El Salvador to sojourn Garcia this week, and different Democratic lawmakers announced they planned to sojourn him arsenic well.

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MSNBC's Rachel Maddow interviewed Sen. Van Hollen connected Wednesday while he was successful El Salvador trying to sojourn Kilmar Abrego Garcia.  (Screenshot/MSNBC)

"It's besides about, arsenic you say, astir nan Trump management trying to deprive individuals successful nan United States of their liberty without immoderate owed process," Van Hollen said of nan situation.

The Trump management agreed to clear immoderate administrative obstacles keeping Abrego Garcia from coming backmost to nan U.S., but Attorney General Pam Bondi has said that it is "up to El Salvador if they want to return him. That's not up to us." 

Van Hollen told reporters connected Wednesday that he was not capable to sojourn Garcia because he needed to make "earlier provisions" to spell to nan prison.

"I asked nan vice president [of El Salvador] if I came backmost adjacent week, whether aliases not I could spell sojourn Kilmar, and nan reply was no, he couldn’t guarantee that. I said, look, I whitethorn beryllium nan first personnel of Congress here, first senator, but I tin guarantee you, much will beryllium coming, and you cannot proceed to support this man locked up successful this worst situation successful El Salvador, and 1 of nan worst successful nan hemisphere, erstwhile he hasn't committed a crime," Van Hollen told Maddow. 

Van Hollen said he was going to proceed to prosecute nan lawsuit and said he asked El Salvador's vice president to unfastened nan situation gross to fto Garcia out. 

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Attorney General Pam Bondi speaks during a news convention astatine nan Department of Justice office successful Washington, Wednesday, April 16, 2025.  (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)

"Because you whitethorn retrieve it, nan White House, nan president of El Salvador said, well, you know, we can’t smuggle Kilmar backmost into nan United States. I said, you don’t person to smuggle him backmost to nan United States. We cognize you can’t do that," Van Hollen said. "Just unfastened nan situation doorway and lawyer wide Pam Bondi said nan United States would nonstop a level down here. And if she doesn’t, astatine slightest he would beryllium free for now successful El Salvador, arsenic we activity to find a measurement to get him backmost into nan tribunal strategy and owed process successful nan United States."

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Fox News' Peter Pinedo, Breanne Deppisch and Greg Wehner contributed to this report.