Senator Chris Van Hollen is under fire after his recent trip to El Salvador, where he attempted to intervene in the case of a deported Salvadoran national with a history of alleged gang ties and domestic abuse. Critics argue the Democrat may have crossed a legal line by engaging in unauthorized diplomacy—potentially violating the very same law Democrats once used to target Michael Flynn: the Logan Act.
The 1799 statute, though rarely enforced, prohibits private citizens—including members of Congress—from negotiating with foreign governments on behalf of the United States without executive authorization. Van Hollen, however, traveled to El Salvador to advocate for the release of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, who was deported under President Trump’s immigration enforcement policies.
While Van Hollen claims Abrego Garcia was wrongfully deported and is the victim of an “administrative error,” federal records paint a very different picture. The Trump administration has publicly alleged that Abrego Garcia has ties to the violent MS-13 gang, was named in a human trafficking investigation, and was previously accused of domestic violence by his wife in a 2021 filing.
Despite these red flags, Van Hollen attempted to visit Abrego Garcia in a high-security Salvadoran prison—a visit that was ultimately denied by the Salvadoran government. His presence there, critics say, amounted to foreign interference and opened the door to legal and ethical scrutiny.
“The Logan Act was dusted off by the left to go after Michael Flynn,” said one conservative commentator. “Now a sitting Democrat senator is interfering with a foreign government on U.S. policy and they want to pretend it’s no big deal?”
The White House responded sharply to Van Hollen’s actions, contrasting them with President Trump’s recent meeting with Angel Mom Patty Morin, whose daughter was murdered by an illegal immigrant. “One party is defending law-abiding citizens,” a senior official stated. “The other is lobbying for criminals with gang affiliations.”
Van Hollen, for his part, is doubling down. He’s pledged to oppose any U.S. funding that supports El Salvador’s detention of Abrego Garcia and insists his actions were justified on humanitarian grounds. “I won’t support the use of one penny of taxpayer dollars to keep him illegally detained,” he said.
The controversy lays bare the ongoing divide between the Trump administration’s America First immigration enforcement and the left’s tendency to prioritize the rights of non-citizens over the safety and sovereignty of the American people.
As the political fallout continues, many are calling for a closer examination of whether Van Hollen’s actions warrant a formal investigation—and whether Democrats will hold themselves to the same standard they once demanded of Trump officials.
The post Dem Senator’s El Salvador Trip Might Violate Law Liberals Used as Pretext for Michael Flynn Probe: Critics appeared first on Real News Now.
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