Democrat Senator Slammed for 'Sipping Margaritas' with Deported Illegal Immigrant in El Salvador.
Senator Chris Van Hollen of Maryland is facing backlash after being spotted drinking margaritas with a deported migrant and alleged MS-13 member during a recent trip to El Salvador.
Kilmar Abrego Garcia, miraculously risen from the “death camps” & “torture”, now sipping margaritas with Sen. Van Hollen in the tropical paradise of El Salvador!🍹 pic.twitter.com/r6VWc6Fjtn
— Nayib Bukele (@nayibbukele) April 18, 2025
Van Hollen met with Kilmar Abrego Garcia, who was deported in March under the Trump administration—despite a court order blocking his removal. The visit itself sparked some debate, but it was the margarita incident that really set off the anger.
Abrego Garcia entered the U.S. illegally in 2011. In 2019, a judge blocked his deportation to El Salvador, recognizing credible threats from gangs targeting him, but permitted deportation to another country. Recently filed court documents reveal that the Trump administration acknowledged mistakenly deporting Garcia to El Salvador. Following this error, the Supreme Court instructed the Trump administration to arrange for Garcia's return to the U.S. On Thursday evening, a three-judge panel from the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals unanimously rejected the Trump administration's request to delay a lower court's ruling. That ruling mandates sworn testimony from Trump administration officials to verify whether they properly followed the court's directive to secure Garcia’s return.
Even El Salvador’s President, Nayib Bukele, called out the senator for “sipping margaritas” with the deportee, fueling heated reactions online. Bukele wrote: "Kilmar Abrego Garcia, miraculously risen from the 'death camps' & 'torture,' now sipping margaritas with Sen. Van Hollen in the tropical paradise of El Salvador!"
The internet lit up almost instantly. Within hours of the photos surfacing, users across X and other platforms were calling out Senator Van Hollen for what they saw as a deeply misguided display—sharing drinks with a man deported under gang-related suspicions. Screenshots of the margarita moment went viral, paired with angry captions accusing the senator of turning his back on his own people.
Van Hollen hasn’t addressed the backlash head-on. But in his social media post about the visit, he shared that he’d called Kilmar Abrego Garcia’s wife “to pass along his message of love.” That line, intended as a gesture of empathy, didn’t land well with critics already fuming online.
A spokesperson aligned with the Trump camp didn’t hold back, saying Van Hollen seemed more invested in defending “an illegal alien MS-13 terrorist” than representing his constituents. The comment struck a nerve with those already questioning the senator’s priorities.
Meanwhile, El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele added fuel to the fire, posting a photo of the meeting with emojis of both countries’ flags and a handshake—an image that quickly made the rounds as another flashpoint in the drama.
The Deportation Dispute and Courtroom Clash
Abrego Garcia entered the US illegally back in 2011. In 2019, a judge prevented his return to El Salvador, noting that he was being targeted by gang members, but said he could be deported to another country. This week, the Trump administration claimed that Garcia was mistakenly deported to El Salvador.
The Supreme Court has since instructed the Trump administration to help bring him back to the US. On Thursday, a three-judge panel from the 4th US Circuit Court of Appeals unanimously decided not to pause a judge's order requiring sworn testimony from Trump administration officials. This testimony is meant to clarify whether they followed the court's directive to assist in Abrego Garcia's return. The court criticized the Trump administration's assertion that it couldn't help Garcia escape from a prison in El Salvador or facilitate his return to the US, stating that such claims should be shocking to Americans who value their freedom, even those who are far removed from the legal system.
Judge J. Harvie Wilkinson III, appointed by Republican President Ronald Reagan, stated: "It is difficult in some cases to get to the very heart of the matter. But in this case, it is not hard at all." He added: "Cling to the hope that it is not naïve to believe our good brethren in the Executive Branch perceive the rule of law as vital to the American ethos."
Trump administration officials have said that Garcia is not the innocent American he purports to be. They allege he is a member of the notorious MS-13 gang and maintain that he should be deported to El Salvador.
Democrats are outraged over his deportation, prompting a strong response, with Maryland Senator Chris Van Hollen traveling to seek clarification on the matter. In his quest to rescue Garcia, he traveled to El Salvador to advocate for his release from prison and return to the United States. However, upon his arrival to request a meeting, he was refused. As a result, he is now facing ridicule from Republicans and conservative Americans.
Additionally, a 2021 petition for protection from domestic violence filled out by Abrego Garcia's wife, Jennifer Vasquez—obtained by DailyMail.com—states that the alleged MS-13 member beat her multiple times over the years.
She informed The Post that she was "taking precautions following a disagreement with Kilmar... to prevent any escalation," citing past abuse in a previous relationship as a reason for her actions.
"Things did not escalate, and I decided not to follow through with the civil court process. We were able to work through this situation privately as a family, including by going to counseling," she added. "Our marriage only grew stronger in the years that followed. No one is perfect, and no marriage is perfect."
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A Constitutional Crisis Over Deportation?
Kilmar Abrego Garcia was deported on March 15, after U.S. officials flagged him as having ties to MS-13—a notoriously violent gang with roots in both El Salvador and the U.S.
But that claim is being challenged. Abrego Garcia’s wife and attorney insist he has no gang affiliation, and they’ve taken legal action, accusing the government of illegally removing him despite a court order meant to protect him from deportation.
Even the Trump administration initially acknowledged the removal may have been a mistake. The Supreme Court later weighed in, ordering that the government facilitate his return.
Still, the administration hasn’t budged.
On Monday, President Trump stood side by side with El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele in the Oval Office, both leaders offering a united front and pushing back against calls to bring Abrego Garcia back to the U.S.
Bukele was blunt. “How can I return him to the United States?” he asked. “Am I supposed to smuggle him in? Of course I’m not going to do that.” He dismissed the idea as absurd. “How can I smuggle a terrorist into the United States? I don’t have the power to return him.”
Trump backed him up—and took it a step further, urging Bukele to expand his country’s detention capacity.
“I just asked the president,” Trump said, turning to Bukele, “you know, it’s this massive complex that he built—a jail complex. I said, ‘Can you build some more of them, please?’”
At the heart of all this isn’t just a political dust-up or viral photo—it’s a serious legal fight over how much power the government really has when it comes to deportation. A federal court said Kilmar Abrego Garcia shouldn’t have been sent back to El Salvador, but he was anyway. That’s not just a bureaucratic slip-up—it could be a violation of the law. Now, the courts are demanding answers, and even former Trump officials may be forced to testify. The bigger issue? Whether the government has to follow the rules, even when it comes to people without legal status. And that’s a question that could reshape how we think about immigration, power, and the limits of authority in America.
