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Democratic Senators Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., Tim Kaine D-Va., and Alex Padilla, D-Calif., introduced legislation on Thursday to hold Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele and other Salvadoran leaders “accountable” for their alleged human rights abuses and for the country’s “collusion with the Trump administration to imprison people from the United States without due process.”
Titled the El Salvador Accountability Act of 2025, the bill would impose property-blocking and visa sanctions on Bukele and other Salvadoran officials “who have engaged in international human rights violations or worked to deprive individuals residing in the United States of their rights under the U.S. Constitution.” The measure would also block any U.S. funding to the Salvadoran government and instruct the U.S. to oppose international financial assistance being sent.
This comes after the Trump administration sent over 200 illegal, alleged gang members to the infamous, high-security prison CECOT, which has served as a detainment facility for many of El Salvador’s most notorious criminals.
The move was met with staunch opposition by Democrats who accused the administration of depriving the illegal aliens removed of their due process rights. Democrats took particular issue with the deportation of illegal alien and suspected MS-13 gang member Kilmar Abrego Garcia, who was sent to the prison in March.
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Van Hollen was the first of several Democrats to fly to El Salvador to meet with Abrego Garcia and to advocate for his return to the U.S.
Abrego Garcia, whom the DOJ is prosecuting on human trafficking charges and who is also an alleged wife-beater, was returned to the U.S. on June 6 to stand trial.
Van Hollen released a statement celebrating Abrego Garcia’s return, saying, “This is not about the man, it’s about his constitutional rights – and the rights of all.”
In a statement announcing the bill on Thursday, Van Hollen accused Bukele and the Salvadoran government of “colluding with the Trump Administration” by “taking American taxpayer dollars to imprison people as part of a scheme to violate their constitutional rights.”
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“We must hold Bukele and his cronies accountable for these wrongful actions as well as for the gross violations of human rights they are committing in El Salvador,” wrote Van Hollen.
“We must send a clear signal that these injustices are unacceptable and must end,” he said.
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Padilla, who also flew to El Salvador to advocate for Abrego Garcia, commented on the legislation as well, saying that “imposing economic sanctions and visa restrictions on Bukele and his corrupt government is a necessary step to push El Salvador to finally uphold international human rights law and respect fundamental civil liberties.”
“We must hold Bukele and all responsible parties accountable for the suspension of constitutional rights and continued collusion with the Trump Administration to imprison people from the United States without due process,” he added.
Padilla was detained by authorities on Thursday after attempting to disrupt a press conference being held in Los Angeles by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.
Assistant Secretary of Homeland Security Tricia McLaughlin responded to the legislation in a statement to Fox News Digital in which she quipped: “Is this just another excuse for Senator Van Hollen to fly down to El Salvador on U.S. taxpayer’s dime to dine with gang members and terrorists?”
White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson also chimed in, telling Fox News Digital in an emailed statement that “Chris Van Hollen (D-Illegal Alien) continues to embarrass himself and betray his constituents by spending more time representing criminal illegal aliens than American citizens.”
“His taxpayer-funded vacation to El Salvador to sip margaritas with a terrorist, human-trafficker, and wife-beater wasn’t enough – now he wants to keep more criminal illegals in American communities,” Jackson remarked, adding “All Americans should be grateful for CECOT, which houses violent criminal illegal aliens who threaten the safety and security of everyone.”
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