Columbia Standard

U.S. Senators Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth joined Senator Chris Van Hollen and 22 other Senators in pressing U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and ICE Acting Director Tedd Lyons for answers following the wrongful deportation of Kilmar Abrego Garcia to El Salvador. This occurred due to an "administrative error", according to the Administration.

Kilmar Abrego Garcia, who held protected status, was deported to El Salvador last month. The deportation was classified as an error by the Administration, as Abrego Garcia had been living legally in Maryland, protected from deportation since an immigration judge ruled him a potential victim of gang violence, thus granting him "withholding of removal".

Senator Durbin and colleagues in their letter insisted on the immediate return of Abrego Garcia, emphasizing the impropriety of the deportation without due process. "We demand that the Administration bring Mr. Abrego Garcia home immediately," the letter stated.

Legal documents specify that Abrego Garcia fled to the U.S. in 2011 due to gang threats and was later wrongfully accused of MS-13 involvement. Despite no subsequent criminal allegations, he was placed in deportation proceedings in 2019. An immigration court ruled in his favor, yet the error occurred, leading to his recent deportation.

Abrego Garcia is currently held at CECOT prison in El Salvador, known for human rights issues. "It cannot simply shrug off responsibility," the Senators' letter criticized the Administration for its handling of the deportation.

In March 2025, Abrego Garcia was apprehended by ICE, informed incorrectly about a change in his protected status, and deported days later. He was on a plane not under the Alien Enemies Act but accompanying those with formal removal orders, despite his legal protection from such actions.

While a Maryland district court ordered the government's compliance in returning Abrego Garcia, subsequent Supreme Court action allowed him to challenge the deportation, not facilitating an immediate return. The Senators call for accountability and attention to protected status deportations.

The letter was co-sponsored by several Senators, including Angela Alsobrooks, Richard Blumenthal, Cory Booker, Chris Coons, Martin Heinrich, Mazie Hirono, and others. A deadline of April 22 was set for responses to the posed questions.