During a press briefing on Friday, Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) answered questions about meeting with the wrongfully deported man, Kilmar Abrego Garcia.
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00:00Do you think that the White House, do you think that the White House, do you think that the White House was involved at all in facilitating this meeting?
00:07Do you think that the Trump administration, do you think, have you spoken to any of your colleagues who say that they plan to go down now that the president has seemed to shut the door?
00:18He lets you meet with them, but he said he's going back to detention and will not return.
00:22Have you spoken to them and what do they hope to accomplish going forward?
00:24So I told the vice president of El Salvador that I may be the first senator, member of Congress to be in El Salvador, to come down to El Salvador, but I won't be the last.
00:37And there are others coming. I've got to give them a call after this meeting to brief them on my trip.
00:44But this goes back to the fact that El Salvador is making a big mistake.
00:49President El Salvador is making a big mistake and being complicit in this illegal scheme.
00:53How long did you meet for? How long did you sit down?
00:56I think that for over half an hour. It was nine hours.
00:59Senator, what else can your Democratic colleagues do to prevent future illegal deportations like this?
01:03You mentioned the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.
01:06Do you think that, and El Salvador is a party to that, do you think that you're mentioning that as part of what facilitated the meeting?
01:12I think it could have been a factor because they are in blatant violation of that requirement, that international law requirement.
01:18Not only in this case, but actually in all of these cases, because I said the policy at that prison, Seacott, is to have no communication, not with your lawyer, not with your family, or with nobody.
01:35That is a violation of international law.
01:38And as I mentioned, El Salvador is a signatory to that.
01:41Thank you all very much for being here.