WASHINGTON - Maryland Democrat Rep. Glenn Ivey said he was denied access to meet with Kilmar Abrego Garcia during a recent trip to El Salvador. Abrego Garcia, a union sheet metal worker and father of three from Maryland, was wrongly deported to the Central American country in March. He was taken to the notorious Terrorism Confinement Center,or CECOT, before being transferred to a facility with better conditions in April. Ivey, whoflew to El Salvadoron May 23,told WJZ-TV in an interviewthat the U.S. ambassador to El Salvador had informed the Salvadoran government of his visit, but he was denied access to see Abrego Garcia. In April, Sen. Chris Van Hollen, also a Maryland Democrat, traveled to El Salvador and met with Abrego Garcia. And four House Democratstook a tripin April to El Salvador and were briefed by the U.S. embassy on his case. In avideo clip shared on Xon May 27, Ivey said he was told he needed a permit. "They knew we were coming, they knew why we were coming, and they know we have the right to do this. So, they need to just cut the crap, let us get in there and have a chance to see him and talk with him," Ivey said. In response to Ivey's post, the Department of Homeland Securityposted, "While the mainstream media and politicians are fighting to bring a foreign terrorist and gang member back to U.S. soil,@POTUSTrump and@Sec_Noemare fighting for the victims of alien crime and putting the safety of Americans FIRST." The Trump administration insists Abrego Garcia is a memberof the MS-13 gang, but a federal judge has questioned the strength of the government's evidence. Abrego Garcia denies being a gang member and has no criminal convictions. TheSupreme Courtordered the Trump administration to"facilitate" the release of Abrego Garcia, but theJustice Department has arguedit does not have the authority to return him to the United States because he is in a foreign country. U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis in Maryland saidduring a hearing on May 16that the Justice Department had not made a "good faith" effort to comply with her request to provide information on what the government was doing to bring Abrego Garcia back to the United States. Contributing: Nick Penzenstadler and Eduardo Cuevas This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Maryland Democrat says he was denied access to meet Abrego Garcia
