BREAKING: Senator Chris Van Hollen says he met with Kilmar Abrego Garcia tonight

[In It to Win It]

BREAKING: Senator Chris Van Hollen says he met with Kilmar Abrego Garcia tonight

“I said my main goal of this trip was to meet with Kilmar. Tonight I had that chance,” Van Hollen tweeted.

— Anna Bower (@annabower.bsky.social) 2025-04-18T01:05:41.182Z

I said my main goal of this trip was to meet with Kilmar. Tonight I had that chance. I have called his wife, Jennifer, to pass along his message of love. I look forward to providing a full update upon my return.

— Senator Chris Van Hollen (@vanhollen.senate.gov) 2025-04-18T01:02:08.991Z

Anna Bower
‪@annabower.bsky.social‬
BREAKING: Senator Chris Van Hollen says he met with Kilmar Abrego Garcia tonight

“I said my main goal of this trip was to meet with Kilmar. Tonight I had that chance,” Van Hollen tweeted.

[senseandsensibility]

1. Wow

I didn't even know that Van Hollen was still there. Great news!!

[Deuxcents]

4. I thought Booker was going today and that Van Hollen left yesterday

[senseandsensibility]

9. That was my understanding too

Really hoping this is true. Haven't heard anything on MSNBC but I'm watching on a slight delay.

[MarineCombatEngineer]

2. This is good,

at least we know that he's still alive and hasn't been murdered.....yet.

[magicarpet]

31. Now that Garcia's profile has been raised with all this publicity and the work of Sen. Van Hollen,...

.... it is now doubtful this "prisoner" will be treated with less than the kid gloves treatment. The spotlight and heat is on - Thank You Senator Van Hollen.

Now put him on a plane and send him home. Fuck don-OLD and his merry team of trDUMPSTERS.

[MarineCombatEngineer]

80. Yep.

He's now too high profile to have him disappear into an unmarked grave.
He needs to be sent back home, like yesterday.

[canetoad]

32. I'd imagine

It's now less likely that anything bad (worse) will happen to him.

[DENVERPOPS]

126. Amen to that MCE

Of course today, the Republican Congress are not going to allow the trip to be charged to the U.S. Government, and are saying he has to pay for it out of his pocket....

How you doing? Infamous "Springtime In The Rockies" here.......(snowing)

[MarineCombatEngineer]

131. I'm doing ok, although, thanks to Been A Dick Donald, I'm paying more, not less like he promised,

for diesel fuel.
Right now, my truck is at the Phoenix Peterbilt facility getting her B service, a deep clean and 4 new drive tires, then it's back on the road.

I love traveling through CO. such a beautiful state, with or without the snow, I remember my first trip through the Eisenhower Tunnel, what feat of engineering!!!

Stay safe, stay warm my friend, someday, when I'm coming through your neck of the woods, we'll have to get together, have a meal, on me of course, and shoot the breeze.

[DENVERPOPS]

132. Good to hear from you

If you come this way, remember I offered YOU a fill up of Diesel, and a meal to help you out!!!!!

The whole front range, and especially Denver has become massively overcrowded these past few years, with people coming here to live. There are license plates everywhere from Florida, Texas and California. Traffic is un-fathomable.........
Denver is THE car theft capitol of the U.S. Same with crimes with Guns, and road rage drivers, esp around Denver......

The State Patrol, (really good guys by the way) recently stated that they noticed a remarkable increase in road rage starting after the November election, and still continuing....

Stay safe, and forever cautious, my friend....

[MarineCombatEngineer]

134. Well then, I'll take you up on the offer of food, but not filling up both of my 150 gal. fuel tanks,

at about $3.80 a gallon, it would cost you about $1000.00 to fill my tanks, plus there is the cost of filling the DEF tank, so, I think it would be sufficient to let me buy the fuel while you pay for a meal.

I hope to be going through Denver soon as it's going on the warmer season, I do hate driving through the snow and ice and having to chain up.

Stay frosty my friend and, god willing, we'll get together soon and discuss what a POS this admin is.

[DENVERPOPS]

136. At least let me contribute to your Diesel

Your work is far more important to you and your customers than anything I am doing........

None of my biggest problems are money at this point in my life, good friend.......

I will look forward to meeting you.........we just need a way to communicate other than on this site.....

[MarineCombatEngineer]

138. I look forward to meeting you IRL,

I'm sure we have a lot to talk about.
Until we meet IRL.

[DENVERPOPS]

133. Hey

did you see the MIDNIGHT convening of the Entire Supreme court in the middle of the night last night and their ruling IN THE FACE, of Trump and Republican Party???? Trump was about to fly hundreds more to El Salvador this weekend, ignoring the USSC previous ruling that he can not do that.........

Little does the USSC, the Republicans in the U.S. House and U.S Senate, realize that in a Tyranny/Dictatorship there is
No need for all of them as there is no Legislative or Judicial branches of government, and they will be kicked to the curb, now that they have fulfilled their usefulness in getting him to this point....

[MarineCombatEngineer]

135. I get the sense that Been A Dick Donald and his criminal cabal have now stepped over the line

and the SCOTUS has had enough of his shit and are starting to push back, what they need to do now is revisit their ruling that presidents have almost total immunity from what they do while in office and I think, and this is only my opinion, they are in discussion over this travesty of justice.

[DENVERPOPS]

137. My thinking is

that they feel he has gone too far, too fast, and merely want to slow him down until more progress has been accomplished in the shadows..............

[The Blue Flower]

3. Thank God he's alive

I was afraid he was already dead.

[ailsagirl]

92. So was I--thank God!!

[bucolic_frolic]

5. That happened real fast after today's court ruling. /nt

[hlthe2b]

6. WOW! I am sooooo pleased to see this. Maybe there is hope yet...

[BOSSHOG]

7. What shenanigans is trump up to?

[SheltieLover]

16. Great question

Since he is now saying he has no knowledge of this situation, thereby throwing brainless bondi under the bus, I'm gonna guess someone in the courts told him shit is going to get real. 🤞🤞🤞

[BOSSHOG]

24. I'm president of the United states

But I don’t know what’s going on. As long as Im hurting people on a daily basis I’m keeping up with my to do list

[SheltieLover]

40. All roads lead to russia

Nancy knew!

[Marcuse]

82. "You" would be impeachable.

[Dave Bowman]

47. No knowledge? I would normally agree that he's clueless but in this case I'll call BS.

[BOSSHOG]

87. Oh yeah

The what? I don’t know nothing. I ain’t gonna suffer, that’s why I hire people. Give em high paying government jobs. To protect me while I play stupid. Ya know the art of the deal.

[Dave Bowman]

100. Yeah, the art of the deal:

🙁

[DENVERPOPS]

127. Bondi

was given a choice of Brain Augmentation or Boob Augmentation........We all know what she chose, along with all the other female republicans surrounding Trump..........

[SheltieLover]

128. Lol

[DENVERPOPS]

130. I am not joking SL

If you look at pictures years ago of all these countless women Trump appoints or has around him, they are all flat as pancakes
Then they decide to get what I call the prerequisite REPUBLICAN RACK, usually with Lipo, and also major facial plastic surgery and then they are sure to be installed by Trump in his CABAL......

[ALBliberal]

83. Trump was dealing with a fellow dictator

might beg the question: what’s El Salvador’s president up to. Maybe he has been offered a better “deal”.

No honor among thieves and dictators.

[HereForTheParty]

120. Give the impression he's being treated better than he is?

Prove he's alive?

I'm surprised they didn't trot him out in prison garb.

[soldierant]

129. Definitely to give that impression.

Lying about margaritas when it's water, for one thing.

Now that Van Hollen's back, he says Kilmar has been "traumatized" (his word.) Not that that's a surprise

[electric_blue68]

8. Holy crackers! Wow. Not over, but he's alive And well enough to be sitting at a table

[LauraInLA]

109. That table looks like it's in a nice lunchroom. Surely that isn't at the notorious prison?!

[electric_blue68]

124. I think they went to a restaurant

[Shipwack]

125. As carefully choreographed as a tourist trip to North Korea...

... and with as much truth.

They showered him threw some clothes on him, and forced him to wear a ballcap so that no one would see his forcibly shaved head. They also took photos and put them on the net to show how "good" the prisoner has it.

(I got this explanation from someone else on here. I forget who; sorry for lack of attribution.)

[yardwork]

10. Thank you Senator Chris Van Hollen!

I'm so proud of him. I'm so relieved. We gave a fighter!

[PortTack]

21. Oh indeed sends good chills down my spine!

[ailsagirl]

94. I am crying

Can't help it

[brakester]

102. Add to that heros list

the appeals court judge that ruled today in no uncertain terms, to bring Abrego Garcia to me!

He laid the law down!!!!

[Ping Tung]

11. Well done, senator.

[everyonematters]

12. Public opinion is getting to them.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

20. Contacts for pressure on the Hell Salvador issue. . . nt

El Salvadoran Embassy in Washington, D.C.
1400, 16th. Street, NW, Suite 100
Washington, DC 20036
United States

Telephone

([phone]

Email

[e-mail]
[e-mail]
[e-mail]

--------------

Name Marco Rubio
Position Secretary of State
Entered Office January 20, 2025
Office Room 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20500
Phone number [phone]
email https://sengov.com/whitehouse/marco-rubio/

--------------

Foreign Minister

San Salvador

Calle El Pedregal, Blvd. Cancillería. Ciudad Merliot, Antiguo Cuscatlan, El Salvador. C.A

Ms. Juana Alexandra Hill Tinoco
Minister

[e-mail]

503 2231 1000

www.rree.gob.sv

[niyad]

49. THANK YOU!!!

[Bernardo de La Paz]

13. Results! Keep going Democrats! . . . . . nt

[Stinky The Clown]

14. So glad. Now keep applying pressure

[Deuxcents]

17. Yes, because there are others there who did not have due process

[dweller]

15. I sure hope this is real

And not some BS AI pic

sorry but I have to ask , these days


✌🏻

[La Coliniere]

18. Gotta keep up the pressure now. Don't back down Democrats.

[PortTack]

19. Best news! Restores my faith in our ability to fight the good fight and win!

[Takket]

22. did they let him out of the prison for this? That picture surely didn't come from the prison.

[womanofthehills]

77. I think they met in a hotel

He looks good

[questionseverything]

23. I have a lot of questions

The picture shows him standing n street clothes at a table, that’s not the impression we have been getting from the shaved head, underwear place

Anxious to hear the rest

[not fooled]

60. It's possible there was enough time

since his kidnapping and imprisonment for some stubble to grow on his head. And giving him some street clothes is an obvious way to make the situation look better. Not saying I know for sure that's what happened, but it's not impossible for him to have been shaved, dressed in the concentration camp garb, etc. initially then "dressed up" for the photos today.

[Ms. Toad]

86. It's been a month. I'd expect about a half an inch growth in that time.

And since they permitted the meeting with press present, they aren't going to leave him in prison garb.

[questionseverything]

113. I'm sure they cleaned him up, glad he seems ok

Proud of this senator for keeping at it

[Joinfortmill]

25. Thank God he's alive.

[Scrivener7]

51. My first thought exactly.

[kimbutgar]

26. Thank you I was so worried he was killed

I hope to hear him come home soon to be with his family !

[AllyCat]

27. This has to make him and his family feel better.

To at least have some contact.

Thank you Senator Van Hollen.

[dweller]

33. And he has a clean sport shirt

and clean cap … must be for the pic





✌🏻

[W_HAMILTON]

34. Oh, you!

THAT'S your initial response to this news?

[W_HAMILTON]

44. L - O - FUCKING - L.

Lemme guess, just like you thought it was silly to think Russia would invade Ukraine, you also thought it was silly when people said that this Trump administration would deport American citizens, right? Surely that would never happen, right?



I say thank god he's still alive because if he had been killed, this administration would have done absolutely nothing. He would be dead and there would have been no justice and no one would have been held accountable, not as long as these MAGA fascists are in office. Hell, they are probably sad to hear that he hasn't been killed.

[WarGamer]

50. One by one.

1) It was super silly for Putin to invade Ukraine. One of the all time military blunders... just a notch dumber than Hitler and Barbarossa (if you didn't know, that's the 1941 invasion of Russia)

2) Have any Americans been deported?

3) Look... the US is paying them to house prisoners. Why in the world would they discourage future transfers by damaging the merchandise?


Not blaming you... but the delusion level has been high lately.

[W_HAMILTON]

59. lol, because the same fucking MAGA fascists paying them to illegally detain these people are the same...

...fucking MAGA fascists that would have no problem paying them to illegally snuff out what is quickly becoming a PR disaster for them.

"Oh boy, El Salvador killed one of those we illegally sent them and defied a court order to facilitate their return, we're going to stop working with that country now!" is something that will never be said by anyone in this Trump administration.

[Ms. Toad]

88. As to #2 - it's too early to know for this administration - BUT he deported around 70 in his prior administration.

Available data indicate ICE and CBP took enforcement actions against some U.S. citizens. For example, available ICE data indicate that ICE arrested 674, detained 121, and removed 70 potential U.S. citizens from fiscal year 2015 through the second quarter of fiscal year 2020 (March 2020).

https://www.gao.gov/products/gao-21-487#summary_recommend

Somehow, I can't imagine he is being more careful this time around, but the data won't be complied for a while.

[WarGamer]

99. why did they add the adjective "potential" to citizens?

[brakester]

105. Maybe they were

up for citizenship?

[RandomNumbers]

122. Re #2 - perhaps not yet, but they are threatening (2 cases at least)

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/doctor-email-immigration-leave-country-rcna201698

American doctor receives email from immigration officials telling her to leave the country immediately

Dr. Lisa Anderson, 58, was born in Pennsylvania and is a U.S. citizen.

April 17, 2025, 9:45 AM EDT
By Matt Lavietes
A doctor born in the United States says she received an email from federal immigration authorities demanding that she leave the country immediately.

Lisa Anderson, a physician from Cromwell, Connecticut, told NBC Connecticut on Wednesday that she recently received a letter from the Department of Homeland Security telling her, “It is time for you to leave the United States."

Immigration authorities have been pushing noncitizens to leave of their own volition, or “self-deport,” as the number of deportations remains at similar levels to last year.

But Anderson, 58, was born in Pennsylvania and is a U.S. citizen.

ALSO ..

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/apr/15/self-deportation-email-citizen-immigration-lawyer

Homeland security told US-born immigration lawyer to leave country

Email to Massachusetts lawyer warned her to ‘depart the US immediately’ even though removing US citizens is illegal

[Dave Bowman]

53. Yeah, human beings being worried then relieved is hillarious.

[WarGamer]

56. The reason people worry is because they listen to too many people in this world

Who make a living out of scaring the hell out of people.

[MadameButterfly]

75. The reason people worry is

because someone put Caligula in charge of the country.

[GusBob]

37. Go Chiefs

Nice hat

[Lulu KC]

61. I saw that!

I thought he was a Chicago Bulls hat guy!

[NoRethugFriends]

43. Your LOL is way out of place

[Scrivener7]

81. Creepy AF.

[NoRethugFriends]

103. But unsurpising

[W_HAMILTON]

29. This is what TRUE LEADERSHIP looks like. Thank you, Senator Van Hollen.

[Maeve]

30. Just coming to make sure the news spreads

Amazing! Thank you, Senator!!

[Captain Zero]

107. Saw a pic on Reddit & my phone battery zeroed

So came here once it juiced up.

Van Hollen shows HOW a representative represents ALL his constituents !!

[mcar]

35. What a relief!

[flamingdem]

36. Garcia must have been so surprised!

That's good news. Van Hollen is incredible. Wonder who said okay.

[mobeau69]

48. The dicktator wannabe.

[GoodRaisin]

52. Could be the first sign Krasnov is backing down?

Maybe he sees the writing on the wall when this arrives again at SCOTUS. Maybe he is getting ready to roll somebody under the bus.

[babylonsister]

38. He's alive! Phew!! Bravo!! nt

[Mike 03]

41. GASP

Fantastic. This is so good, for so many reasons. Powerful.

[AlexSFCA]

42. what a great thing he did, hope other dems will follow the lead

[stillcool]

74. I think Cory Booker is going there...but Van Hollen

actually represents Garcia, being from Maryland.

[Walleye]

45. Thank goodness!

[Traildogbob]

46. Sued into poverty

Last edited Thu Apr 17, 2025, 11:17 PM - Edit history (1)

Is what attorneys for this man need to do as they go after all those assholes calling him terrorist, child smuggler and deadly ganger. Bondi, Noem, Miller, MTG, Gorka et al.
Especially Bondi, and disbarment. And Fox pukes as well.

[MorbidButterflyTat]

91. .

[radical noodle]

54. The NY Times says he was turned away

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/17/us/politics/senator-chris-van-hollen-el-salvador-prison.html

About a mile and a half from a maximum-security Salvadoran prison on Thursday, Senator Chris Van Hollen’s caravan was brought to an abrupt halt by a military roadblock.

Mr. Van Hollen and Chris Newman, a lawyer representing Mr. Abrego Garcia’s family, were denied their request to visit the prison, known as CECOT, and forced to turn back. The refusal of entry came a day after El Salvador’s vice president rejected Mr. Van Hollen’s formal appeal for a meeting or even a phone call with Mr. Abrego Garcia.

“Our purpose today was very straightforward,” Mr. Van Hollen said in an interview on Thursday. “It was simply to be able to go see if Kilmar Abrego Garcia is doing OK. I mean, nobody has heard anything about his condition since he was illegally abducted from the United States. He is totally beyond reach.”

“This was a very sort of simple humanitarian request,” Mr. Van Hollen said soon after the stop. “They said they were ordered not to allow us to proceed any further.”

I wonder what is really true? (although I think seeing Garcia in a baseball cap and plaid shirt might be questionable under the circumstances)

[senseandsensibility]

58. That struck me as odd too

Is there any other confirmation of this? I really want it to be true!

[In It to Win It]

64. The NYT story has been updated

[radical noodle]

79. Oh great!! Thanks!

Very good news!

[In It to Win It]

62. Updated story

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/17/us/politics/senator-chris-van-hollen-el-salvador-prison.html

[dweller]

68. Wow really updated

A version of this article appears in print on April 18, 2025, Section A, Page 17 of the New York edition with the headline: Military Blocks Senator Seeking to Visit Deportee Held in Salvadoran Prison. Order Reprints | Today’s Paper | Subscribe

😐



✌🏻

[Pinback]

72. Hot damn

So glad. Now, let’s get him out of there or start putting some people in jail for contempt of court.

[dweller]

63. There are NO updates on Van Hollen's Gov page

And none since 4/15

https://www.vanhollen.senate.gov/news



✌🏻

[stillcool]

69. I think they both are...if his meeting with Garcia took place

after he had the presser this afternoon, because at that time he had not been granted access. It looks like the meeting place did not happen where he was detained. If you click the link on bluesky you'll see. But then again, in this day and age I can't believe a flipping thing. It's crazy.

[struggle4progress]

57. Here's Rosetta Tharpe

[niyad]

65. What is with those weird, contradictory messages ostensibly from "the

coolest dictator in the world"???

[proud patriot]

66. He's alive thank goodness

I was really worried

[cbabe]

67. Any more names of wrongly imprisoned. I'd like to mention when I make calls ie comment twenty.

[Solly Mack]

71. Good

[senseandsensibility]

73. Rachel covering now!

Unfortunately, while she was speaking there was something with the audio speeding up and slowing down and it was garbled. Anyone else hear what she said? There were pictures on the screen of Garcia and Van Hollen sitting outside.

[brakester]

108. I watch Maddow

on YouTube and about 8 or 9 minutes in, there are strange video clips that start playing.
I hope I'm not missing a minute of her.
Does anyone know any more about this, and where can I watch the real program?

[soldierant]

76. I just got the same update from Axios 😂

Thank you for posting it as an OP!

https://www.axios.com/2025/04/18/el-salvador-prison-abrego-garcia-senator-chris-van-hollen

[chouchou]

78. I feel like an old lost friend just walked into my life.

I was afraid that he was......

[orangecrush]

84. OUTSTANDING

A TRUE STATESMAN!!!

[Prairie Gates]

85. I hear some Putinite trashbags are saying that even wondering about whether he was dead

was silly.

They only bend to pressure. The widespread speculation (no, not just here) about whether he was alive is why they produced him, period.

[WarGamer]

101. I hadn't seen any Putinite trashbags claim that.

[W_HAMILTON]

114. I have.

[mackdaddy]

89. So why not release him and let him fly back with the senator?

Trump just has to say the word.

[fishwax]

90. nice to see some good news -- good job, and thank you, Senator

[spanone]

93. K&R

[AllaN01Bear]

95. ""

eggscllent.

[iluvtennis]

96. So, so happy to read this - I thought for sure that the thugs that run that prision had murdered him.

[Sneederbunk]

97. Too bad TSF is so fearful of the dictator or

Garcia would be home by now. TSF is weak.

[Bettie]

98. Got to admit

I am surprised that he is still alive.

Great that the Senator kept trying. Perseverance seems to be uncommon these days.

[Orrex]

104. Right?

I would have bet money that he'd "accidentally" died.

[Buddyzbuddy]

106. Way to go, Senator! Thank you.

[Hassler]

110. This is great news. For the nation

We know he's alive, giving us hope. But more importantly for Kilmar. He knows he's not forgotten, giving him hope. Kudos to Van Hollen

[Meowmee]

111. Great news 👏🏻👏🏻

[blogslug]

112. This nasty detail from the NYT article

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/17/us/politics/senator-chris-van-hollen-el-salvador-prison.html

archive link: https://archive.ph/blTov

Mr. Bukele, in a social media post, even crowed that “Kilmar Abrego Garcia, miraculously risen from the ‘death camps’ & ‘torture,’” was “now sipping margaritas with Sen. Van Hollen in the tropical paradise of El Salvador!” But according to a person familiar with the situation, a Bukele aide placed the two glasses with cherries and salted rims on the table in front of Mr. Van Hollen and Mr. Abrego Garcia in the middle of their meeting in an attempt to stage the photo.

[wolfie001]

115. Kudos to Senator Van Hollen!

All good Americans wanted to see him and make sure he's still with us! He's looking somewhat healthy. The other Americans who are still hating can go f6ck themselves. Get that man back to Maryland!!!

[LS_Editor]

116. Now what?

Glad he's alive, but they aren't releasing him and Trump isn't going to request thsy El Slavador does that.

[alarimer]

117. Officials probably heard that we thought they might have killed him

So they trotted him out. Still need to let him go.

[OLDMDDEM]

118. He is my senator. Im so proud he did this.

[peacebuzzard]

119. Senator Van Hollen is my new hero

There's a lot of drama here, which makes me grateful I do not have MSM readily available in order to maintain my emotional well-being and blood pressure.
I have yet to sign up on Bluesky. The last time I visited the site, it seemed like a hard-to-find and disorganized location for current events. Maybe it's changed, and most of the news is indeed disseminated verifiably.
DU posters are the best in the world; I get all I need about current events from here.

In it to Win it, I am grateful to read your post, and all the comments on these evolving and tragic current events. I hope all this is true and the Senator comes back safely and has exposed this tragedy somewhat.

[Martin68]

121. Well done! Thus exposing, once again, Trump's lies.

[karin_sj]

123. Thank god

I was fearing the worst.