More congressional Democrats are preparing to travel to El Salvador to meet with government officials and visit an established MS-13 gang member deported there by the Trump administration, including potential 2028 presidential contender Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey.
Booker, the chamber’s No. 4 Democrat, is organizing the trip, Politico reported.
Separately, Maryland Sen. Chris Van Hollen traveled to El Salvador on Wednesday, following through on his pledge to visit the country if Abrego Garcia remained in custody. He had also sought a meeting with Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele during Bukele’s visit to the United States.
Van Holland’s visit was soundly criticized by Maryland resident Patty Morin, whose daughter Rachel was brutally maimed and murdered at the hands of an illegal alien in August of 2023.
The planned visits come amid growing concern over the case of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Salvadoran national now imprisoned in his home country after Trump officials accused him of gang ties, which the Justice Department verified with released documents late Wednesday. Read more below