Florida Congressman to Join Senator in El Salvador to Demand Release of Deported Maryland Man

ORLANDO, Florida – Florida U.S. Representative Maxwell Alejandro Frost (D-Orlando) announced his intention to join U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) on a trip to El Salvador to press for the release of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Maryland resident who was mistakenly deported to the Central American country despite a U.S. court order protecting him from removal.

Frost made the statement on X late Monday, responding to a letter from Senator Van Hollen to El Salvador’s ambassador, requesting a meeting with President Nayib Bukele to discuss Garcia’s situation.

“We must all stand as a united front against the kidnapping and illegal detention of Kilmar Abrego Garcia in El Salvador,” Frost wrote, adding, “Senator, I am willing to join you and help organize other members of the House to do the same.”

Garcia, a Salvadoran national who had lived in Maryland, was deported in March 2025 by the Trump administration, despite a 2019 immigration judge ruling that granted him protection due to the risk of persecution in El Salvador.

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled unanimously on April 10 that Garcia’s deportation was illegal, ordering the administration to “facilitate” his return. However, both the Trump administration and President Bukele have resisted complying with the ruling.

Garcia is currently detained in El Salvador’s Terrorism Confinement Center (CECOT), a mega-prison where the Trump administration has sent hundreds of alleged gang members, including those accused of ties to MS-13.

The Justice Department has acknowledged Garcia’s deportation was an “administrative error,” and he has no criminal record in the U.S.

Despite this, the Trump administration has argued that foreign policy, not judicial rulings, governs such cases, creating a standoff between executive power and the judiciary.

Senator Van Hollen, who announced his travel plans to El Salvador on April 14, stated in his letter, “I plan to travel to El Salvador this week to check on his condition and discuss his release.” Frost’s commitment to join the effort signals growing concern among Democrat lawmakers.