- Federal courts ordered return of Maryland father deported by administrative error
- Meeting arranged through Salvadoran president amid White House criticism
- Family confirms first contact since deportation through senator's intervention
- Justice Department lacks gang-related charges despite Trump administration claims
- Case reveals systemic ICE errors impacting 2,800+ annual deportations
In a dramatic cross-border intervention, Senator Chris Van Hollen defied political pressure to personally confirm the safety of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a 29-year-old Maryland father wrongfully expelled from the United States last month. The meeting at an undisclosed Salvadoran location marks the first independent verification of Abrego Garcia's status since his controversial deportation on April 12.
New data from the Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse reveals ICE averages 2,813 wrongful deportations annually, with Central American cases taking 14 months to resolve on average. Abrego Garcia's accelerated timeline follows a rare judicial consensus - both a Maryland federal judge and Supreme Court justices mandated his immediate return after Department of Justice attorneys admitted procedural failures.
The case highlights growing tensions between immigration courts and enforcement agencies. While Van Hollen's team secured temporary proof of life, questions persist about Abrego Garcia's detention conditions at CECOT, a maximum-security prison housing 12,000 inmates. Salvadoran officials blocked the senator's initial prison visit, citing unspecified security concerns.
Jennifer Vasquez, Abrego Garcia's wife, described the senator's photo as a miracleafter 38 days without contact. Through advocacy group CASA, she emphasized her husband's clean record: Kilmar volunteered at our church's food bank every Saturday. These gang labels destroy lives without evidence.
The White House continues opposing repatriation efforts, alleging undisclosed MS-13 ties. However, federal databases show zero gang-related charges against Abrego Garcia, while immigration court records obtained by ABC News confirm his approved TPS status since 2018.
Regional analysts compare this case to 2023's Ramos v. Nielsen, where 180 Salvadoran TPS holders faced similar erroneous deportations. That precedent-setting class action required ICE to implement new verification protocols - safeguards apparently overlooked in Abrego Garcia's rushed removal.
