Reps. Robert Garcia, Maxwell Frost, Yassamin Ansari, Maxine Dexter Arrive in El Salvador to Demand Trump Administration Abide by Supreme Court Ruling, Release Kilmar Armando[...]

Washington, D.C. - Today, Congressman Robert Garcia (CA-42), Congressman Maxwell Frost (FL-10), Congresswoman Yassamin Ansari (AZ-03), and Congresswoman Maxine Dexter (OR-03) arrived in El Salvador on a trip they are leading to demand the Trump Administration abide by the Supreme Court decision to return Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia to the United States after he was illegally deported. This is an independent, personally-funded trip conducted after Chairman James Comer refused to approve the lawmakers' requestfor an official CODEL.

"While Donald Trump continues to defy the Supreme Court, Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia is being held illegally in El Salvador after being wrongfully deported," said Congressman Robert Garcia."That is why we're here- to remind the American people that kidnapping immigrants and deporting them without due process is not how we do things in America. We are demanding the Trump Administration abide by the Supreme Court decision and give Kilmar and the other migrants mistakenly sent to El Salvador due process in the United States."

Earlier this month, Congressman Garcia and Congressman Frost sent a letterto House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer requesting authorization for a Congressional Member Delegation (CODEL) to visit Centro de Confinamiento del Terrorismo(CECOT), the maximum-security prison in Tecoluca, El Salvador. After the Chairman rejected their request, Congressman Garcia and Congressman Frost planned an independent trip.

Congressman Garcia remains committed to reforming our immigration system, creating fair pathways to citizenship, and treating immigrants with respect and dignity. Earlier this month, Congressman Garcia wrote letters demanding answersfrom the Trump Administration on its deportation of Andry Hernández Romero, a gay Venezuelan makeup artist who was sent to a prison in El Salvador in violation of a federal court order and in the absence of credible evidence supporting the government's claims about his affiliation with a criminal gang. In July 2024, Congressman Garcia introducedthe SHIELD Act, which allocated grants through the Attorney General and the Department of Justice to local and state governments to support the recruitment of staff and attorneys to ensure that immigrants receive quality, affordable representation in immigration court. Last Congress, Congressman Garcia led investigationsinto fundamental integrity and credibility issues within the DHS, including identifyingwhat actions have been taken to address the threat of domestic violent extremism within the DHS. Congressman Garcia has also defended humane immigration procedures and condemnedextreme rhetoric on immigration and border security that dehumanizes migrants legally seeking asylum. Congressman Garcia has also investigatedthe use of inappropriate language and behavior among Border Patrol agents within ICE toward immigrants following reports from the Huffington Post.

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