Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Maryland resident wrongfully deported by the Trump administration, has shared his traumatic experiences while incarcerated in a notorious prison in El Salvador. Senator Chris Van Hollen, who visited Garcia, assessed his current isolation conditions and advocated for his release, highlighting the ongoing challenges faced by immigrants in similar situations.
Maryland Senator Advocates for Repatriated Immigrant Held in Isolation
Maryland Senator Advocates for Repatriated Immigrant Held in Isolation
Senator Chris Van Hollen reveals the plight of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Maryland man mistakenly deported to El Salvador, detailing his harrowing experience in a maximum security prison.
Senator Chris Van Hollen has raised concerns regarding Kilmar Abrego Garcia, an immigrant from Maryland who was mistakenly deported and subsequently incarcerated in a maximum-security prison in El Salvador. During his recent visit to San Salvador, Van Hollen learned that Garcia endured almost three weeks in CECOT prison, notorious for its harsh conditions and human rights violations, before being transferred to a lower-security facility in Santa Ana.
Meeting Garcia, Van Hollen reported that the individual described his experience at CECOT as deeply traumatizing, highlighting a fearful atmosphere and a sense of isolation exacerbated by the prison's practices. Despite having been moved to a better facility, Garcia remains in near-total blackout, unable to communicate with anyone from the outside world.
Garcia shared details of his arrest and deportation with Senator Van Hollen, explaining that he had initially sought a phone call after his arrest in Baltimore but was turned down. Following his detention in a Texas facility, he was deported aboard a plane with blackout windows and securely shackled before arriving at CECOT, where he was placed among dangerous criminals.
During his time at the prison, Garcia felt anxious about verbal threats from other incarcerated individuals in different blocks, although he indicated that he did not fear his immediate cell mates. In a statement to Van Hollen, he expressed sorrow for being confined in a facility intended for notorious criminals, indicating that this label does not represent his true character or journey. The senator emphasized the disconnect between Garcia's situation and the general perceptions of those in such facilities, calling for immediate action regarding his release and the broader treatment of deported individuals facing similar predicaments.
