Abrego Garcia Told Chris Van Hollen He Had Been In Isolation in El Salvador Prison - The New York Times

Summary of Abrego Garcia's Ordeal

Senator Chris Van Hollen's visit to El Salvador revealed the harrowing experience of Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia, a Maryland man mistakenly deported by the Trump administration. After nearly three weeks in CECOT, a notorious maximum-security prison in El Salvador known for human rights abuses, Abrego Garcia was transferred to a lower-level facility in Santa Ana.

Conditions in CECOT

Abrego Garcia described the conditions at CECOT as traumatizing. While he wasn't afraid of his immediate cellmates, he was terrified by prisoners in other cell blocks who taunted him. He was held in a cell with approximately 25 other inmates.

Details of Deportation

• Initially arrested and taken to Baltimore, where he was denied a phone call.
• Transferred to a Texas detention facility.
• Deported on a plane with blacked-out windows.
• Arrived at CECOT and imprisoned.

Current Situation

Although transferred to a facility with better conditions in Santa Ana, Abrego Garcia remains in isolation with no contact with the outside world. Senator Van Hollen is advocating for his release.