Four congressional Democrats arrived in El Salvador on Monday in hopes of pressuring the Trump administration into facilitating the return of Salvadoran MS-13 affiliate Kilmar Abrego Garcia — something the U.S. Supreme Court conditionally ordered earlier this month.

The trip comes on the heels of Maryland Senator Chris Van Hollen's (D) pilgrimage to support the suspected gangbanger — a trip critics seized upon as another damning example of Democrats' extra-national priorities — and in the wake of new polling showing record-low confidence in Democratic congressional leadership.

While Democratic Reps. Robert Garcia (Calif.), Maxwell Frost (Fla.), Yassamin Ansari (Ariz.), and Maxine Dexter (Ore.) followed in the steps of Van Hollen, who traveled last week to San Salvador to both demand Abrego Garcia's release and share an intimate moment with the MS-13 affiliate, taxpayers did not similarly pay their way.

'You can spend your own money.'

House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform Chairman James Comer refused the Democratic lawmakers' request to let taxpayer money be wasted on the trip, stating in an April 18 letter to Garcia and Frost, "It is absurd that you both displayed active hostility for over two years toward the Committee's oversight of the Biden Border Crisis and the consequences of millions of illegal aliens entering the country, yet now, you are seeking travel at Committee expense to meet with foreign gang members."

"You may be pleased to know that a Democrat Senator, Chris Van Hollen, was photographed just yesterday in El Salvador enjoying margaritas garnished with cherry slices with the foreign gang member your letter references," continued Comer. "If you also wish to meet with him, you can spend your own money."

Although denied the opportunity to send an official congressional delegation at taxpayers' expense, the Democrats decided to make the trip anyway.

The four Democrats' offices informed Axios that they will meet with U.S. embassy officials in El Salvador.

Evidently unfazed by the credible accusations lodged against Garcia — of human trafficking and domestic abuse — as well as an immigration court's determination that he is a "danger to the community," the Democrats will also advocate for Abrego Garcia's release.

"Donald Trump and his Administration are running a government-funded kidnapping program — illegally arresting, jailing, and deporting innocent people with zero due process. Kilmar Abrego Garcia is Trump's latest victim," said Frost.

"While Donald Trump continues to defy the Supreme Court, Kilmar Abrego Garcia is being held illegally in El Salvador after being wrongfully deported," Rep. Garcia said in a statement. "We are demanding the Trump Administration abide by the Supreme Court decision and give Kilmar and the other migrants mistakenly sent to El Salvador due process in the United States."

An Obama judge ordered the Trump administration on April 4 to bring a deported MS-13 member back to the United States, which he originally stole into without inspection in 2011.

On April 10, the U.S. Supreme Court unanimously upheld the lower court's ruling in part, stating, "The order properly requires the Government to 'facilitate' Abrego Garcia's release from custody in El Salvador and to ensure that his case is handled as it would have been had he not been improperly sent to El Salvador."

The court noted, however, that the "scope of the term 'effectuate' in the District Court's order is, however, unclear, and may exceed the District Court's authority," and that the lower court "should clarify its directive, with due regard for the deference owed to the Executive Branch in the conduct of foreign affairs."

White House officials indicated that the release and return of Abrego Garcia is up to El Salvador.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said, "That's up to El Salvador if they want to return him. That's not up to us. The Supreme Court ruled that if El Salvador wants to return him ... we would facilitate it: meaning, provide a plane."

Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele indicated in the Oval Office last week that doing so is not possible.

President Donald Trump made clear Friday that contrary to Democrats' characterization of Abrego Garcia as a "Maryland man" traduced, the Salvadoran bears the markings of his gang affiliation. Rather than leave the markings to the imagination, Trump shared a picture of the gang tattoo online.

'Americans are increasingly saying the country is on the right track when it comes to immigration policy.'

"This is the hand of the man that the Democrats feel should be brought back to the United States, because he is such 'a fine and innocent person,'" wrote Trump. "They said he is not a member of MS-13, even though he's got MS-13 tattooed onto his knuckles, and two Highly Respected Courts found that he was a member of MS-13, beat up his wife, etc."

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A new Gallup poll found that confidence in Democratic congressional leaders is at an all-time low — only 25% of respondents signaled confidence in the leftist lawmakers' ability to do or recommend the right thing. Democrats' lowest confidence rating was previously 34%, which was recorded in 2023.

The four Democrats' protest in El Salvador is unlikely to improve their relationship with voters. After all, a recent Washington Post poll found in February that the majority of Americans support deporting all illegal aliens presently in the United States.

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