The rejection of a Democratic request to visit a maximum security prison in El Salvador by the House Oversight Committee Chair has sparked controversy. The prison, known as the Terrorism Confinement Center (CECOT), holds hundreds of individuals deported from the United States under the Trump administration, many of whom are accused of gang affiliations.
The request, submitted by Representatives Robert Garcia and Maxwell Frost, aimed to organize a congressional delegation to assess the conditions and treatment of high-profile detainees within CECOT. However, Committee Chair James Comer dismissed the proposal, citing the Democrats’ previous opposition to the committee’s investigations into former President Donald Trump’s border policies. Comer criticized the request as “absurd” and questioned the rationale behind using committee funds to visit individuals labeled as gang members by U.S. authorities.
Under the Trump administration, numerous individuals were deported to El Salvador under allegations of gang membership. Critics argue that these deportations occurred without providing the accused with the chance to contest their removal, invoking the Alien Enemies Act. Legal representatives and relatives of those deported have contested these accusations, claiming the allegations were based on unreliable sources such as tattoos and social media activities.
Garcia and Frost’s proposed visit to CECOT intended to address the cases of several detainees, including Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a legal U.S. resident, and Andry Hernández Romero, a gay makeup artist. Both were deported from the U.S. without due process. Comer referenced recent statements by Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele and Senator Chris Van Hollen’s visit to El Salvador, claiming that Abrego Garcia was being treated humanely. However, Abrego Garcia, who lacks any criminal charges or convictions in the U.S., has been unjustly identified as a foreign MS-13 gang member, according to his attorneys and family.
The Justice Department highlighted past records of Abrego Garcia’s arrest in 2019 and Maryland police assessments linking him to the gang. Yet, his legal team argues that these allegations are founded on hearsay from undisclosed sources. Abrego Garcia has since been relocated to another detention facility within El Salvador.
Despite Comer’s denial, House Democrats retain the option to visit El Salvador independently. Nonetheless, a congressional delegation would provide them with greater access to resources during their visit. This decision follows a recent similar denial from House Homeland Security Committee Chair Mark Green concerning another request for a delegation to El Salvador. Meanwhile, Republicans have conducted their own visit to the region, led by House Ways and Means Chair Jason Smith, to observe CECOT firsthand.
