Democratic US Senator Chris Van Hollen claimed on Wednesday (Apr 16) that authorities in El Salvador had denied him access to Kilmar Abrego Garcia, the Salvadoran man who was mistakenly deported. 

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Van Hollen tried to meet Ábrego García at the Terrorism Confinement Center (Cecot) during his visit to El Salvador on Wednesday. The US authorities have said that the Maryland resident is being held at Cecot along with others deported at Donald Trump's orders. 

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The senator asked for Abrego Garcia's release, but El Salvador's Vice President, Felix Ulloa, told him that he could not authorise a visit or arrange a call with him. 

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Van Hollen, who is a member of the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said Ulloa also told him El Salvador was not releasing Abrego Garcia because the United States was paying to keep him incarcerated. He also claimed that the Trump administration was lying about his alleged gang affiliation to "cover up" his mistaken deportation.

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At a press conference in El Salvador, Van Hollen said, "I asked the vice president if I could meet with Mr Ábrego García. And he said, well, you need to make earlier provisions to go visit Cecot,” Van Hollen said. 

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"I said, I'm not interested at this moment in taking a tour of Cecot, I just want to meet with Mr Ábrego García. He said he was not able to make that happen."

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White House's reaction 

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said the Democratic senator was potentially using taxpayer dollars to "demand the release of deported illegal alien MS-13 terrorist."

Leavitt was joined by Patty Morin, the mother of Rachel Morin, a Maryland woman who was killed by Victor Martinez-Hernandez, a different Salvadoran man who was recently convicted of murder. Morin also criticised Van Hollen for his trip.