A federal appeals court offered a scathing rebuke today of the Trump administration's handling

of the deportation of a Maryland resident to a mega prison in El Salvador.

The unanimous three-judge panel called the deportation of Kilmar-Abrego-Garcia, quote, shocking,

writing, quote, the government is asserting a right to stash away residents of this country in

foreign prisons without the semblance of due process that is the foundation of our constitutional

order. The court also upheld a lower court's order that Trump officials can be called to

testify in the case. Maryland Democratic Senator Chris Van Hollen traveled to El Salvador to meet with

government officials and push for the release of Mr. Arbrego-Garcia, but he was denied access to the

prison. He joins me now from El Salvador. Senator, welcome back to the News Hour. Thanks for joining us.

It's good to be with you. So you went there with the intention of meeting with Mr.

Abrego-Garcia. What were you told about why you would not be able to do so?

Well, you're right. I went with the intention of two issues. One was to ask for him to release him,

but the other was to see him. And today I traveled to Seacott, which is the notorious

prison where he's been stashed. And about three kilometers out, I was stopped by soldiers

who prevented me from going any further and said they'd been ordered to not allow me to go visit with him.

And have you been able to get any kind of update on Mr. Garcia's condition or whether he's

had access to lawyers since he's been deported, anything like that?

I have not. And that is one of the big, big issues here because he's not had any ability

to connect with his family, with his wife, with his mom,

or with his lawyers. There's been absolutely zero communication. I asked the American embassy here,

whether they'd made inquiries on his behalf, and they said that they had not been giving any

such direction from the Trump

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