A Maryland congressman’s effort to visit a wrongly deported constituent in El Salvador was halted last week, leaving a family shattered and a community demanding justice. Rep. Glenn Ivey’s failed attempt to see Kilmar Abrego Garcia, held in a Salvadoran prison, reveals the pain of a deportation error and a father’s fight to return home.

On May 28, Ivey, a Democrat, traveled to El Salvador to meet Abrego Garcia, a 29-year-old who lived in Maryland for 15 years. Deported in March 2025 despite a 2019 court order protecting him, Abrego Garcia is detained in El Salvador’s CECOT prison, known for gang members. Ivey, after coordinating with U.S. officials, was denied access, told to get a permit in San Salvador, 90 minutes away. “They knew why we came but blocked us,” Ivey said. The Supreme Court ordered his return in April, citing an “administrative error,” but he remains in custody.

Abel Nuñez of CARECEN, who joined Ivey, said, “This is a man’s life, not a file.” Jennifer Vasquez Sura, Abrego Garcia’s U.S.-citizen wife, said, “My kids need their dad’s voice.” The Trump administration claims he’s MS-13, citing a 2020 protective order Vasquez Sura filed, which she disputes. His lawyers deny gang ties, noting no U.S. charges and his job as a sheet metal apprentice.

Abrego Garcia was stopped by ICE on March 12 while driving with his son in Maryland. Despite his protected status, granted due to gang threats in El Salvador, he was deported under the 1798 Alien Enemies Act in a gang sweep. The U.S. paid El Salvador $6 million to detain deportees, per records. Sen. Chris Van Hollen met him in April after initial denials. El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele has refused his release, calling it “preposterous.”

For Vasquez Sura and her three children, the ordeal is crushing. “My kids ask when Dad’s coming home,” she said. Maryland’s Latino community, rallied by CARECEN, feels betrayed. “Kilmar’s a worker,” said neighbor Maria. Democrats, like Rep. Jamie Raskin, call it a constitutional crisis, while Republicans, like Rep. Jason Smith, back the deportation, citing safety. Courts find no gang evidence, deepening the divide.

The consequences are heavy. Abrego Garcia faces risks in CECOT, despite milder conditions, with human rights groups alleging abuses. The Supreme Court’s ignored ruling, per Justice Sonia Sotomayor, threatens due process. Maryland, shaken by a 2023 crime, is torn between safety and justice concerns.

Ivey vows to press on, urging Trump to act. Democrats plan more visits, while the administration’s Karoline Leavitt says Abrego Garcia “won’t return.” As legal battles unfold, Vasquez Sura holds onto hope, her children’s drawings of their father a reminder of a family fractured. Maryland waits for justice in a case testing the nation’s values.

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