Senators Van Hollen, Kaine, Schumer file resolution for El Salvador human rights report

Kaine, Van Hollen provide updates on Kilmar Abrego Garcia case

Senate Democrats file motion forcing Trump administration to file Human Rights report on El Salvador

WASHINGTON - Senators Tim Kaine, Chris Van Hollen and Chuck Schumer are filing a resolution to require the State Department to issue a human rights report on El Salvador. 

What we know:

Kaine, Van Hollen and Schumer announced Thursday that they are filing a resolution under Section 502 B.C. of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961. 

"This is a little-used privilege motion. But it's designed, like the other privileges are designed, to enable the Article I branch to check executive overreach," said Kaine. 

The resolution is to require the State Department to issue a report on human rights in El Salvador – "particularly the conditions in the prison where Americans are being held." 

What they're saying:

"President Trump has facilitated the deportation of American residents, many here completely lawfully, to El Salvador without due process. In some instances, people who are being deported by mistake, as the administration admits," said Kaine. "The President has even gone beyond this and said he would like to cut a deal to send U.S. citizens to be in prison in El Salvador." 

Kaine said Thursday that he wanted to send a message to the Trump administration. 

"If you think you can take steps like this without Congress challenging your executive overreach, you're wrong. We're going to challenge your overreach at every instance when we can," said Kaine. 

Kaine also addressed President Nayib Bukele, partly in Spanish, saying that Trump would be president for a few years, but the relationship between El Salvador and the United States would be forever. 

"If you think we'll forget you violating the human rights of American citizens, you're wrong. We will remember this forever, and there will be significant and challenging downstream consequences for any nation that violates the rights of Americans," said Kaine. 

"Donald Trump is deporting American citizens with no due process. A threat against one is a threat against all. Without a shadow of a doubt, he's violating the founding principles of this country, and we're not going to let him get away with it," said Schumer. 

What's next:

Within ten calendar days, the resolution becomes business of the Senate, according to Kaine. 

"We are guaranteed a vote on it, and we will seek a vote at a time that our leader Senator Schumer will negotiate with Senator Thune," said Kaine. "Our pitch to our colleagues would be, why wouldn't you want a human rights report? If Americans are being sent there, you would want a Human Rights Report about the conditions."

Kaine says if the resolution passes in the Senate, it would not need to go  to the house. 

If no report is produced within 30 days, all security assistance to El Salvador would be cut off, per Kaine. If a report is returned, both Senate and the House would vote on whether to terminate security assistance to El Salvador. 

A 2023 State Department Human Rights report found "torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading punishment" in Salvadoran prisons, according to Van Hollen. 

The backstory

The backstory:

Earlier this month, Senator Van Hollen traveled to El Salvador and met with Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a man the Trump administration said they mistakenly deported to El Salvador due to "administrative errors." 

President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that he could secure the return of Abrego Garcia, contradicting previous remarks from him and his aides. 

Trump says he could return Abrego-Garcia to US, but refuses

President Donald Trump claims that his administration could return deported Maryland father Kilmar Abrego-Garcia back to the United States but refuses to do so citing Abrego-Garcia allegedly being a member of MS-13.

Van Hollen said that the Salvadoran government was prepared to release Abrego Garcia back to the U.S. 

"When I spoke to the Vice President of El Salvador, he was very clear. He said the ball is not in El Salvador's court. The ball is in the Trump administration's court, and he said that the only reason the government of El Salvo is holding him is because the Trump Administration is paying him to do so," said Van Hollen.