Senator Cory Booker to Visit El Salvador
Senator Cory Booker is planning a visit to El Salvador, according to a source familiar with his travel plans. The trip comes as Democratic lawmakers continue to pressure the Trump administration to comply with a Supreme Court order demanding the return of Kilmar Ábrego García, a Maryland resident who was wrongfully deported.
Ábrego García, a Salvadoran national, was removed from the United States last month in what the Trump administration has acknowledged was an “administrative error.” His case has since become emblematic of broader concerns about immigration enforcement under former President Trump’s leadership.
Earlier this week, Senator Chris Van Hollen of Maryland traveled to El Salvador in an attempt to meet with his constituent. However, the Salvadoran government denied him access to Ábrego García, who is reportedly being detained in the country’s controversial Terrorism Confinement Center (Cecot).
Despite a Supreme Court ruling ordering the administration to “facilitate” Ábrego García’s return, no steps have been taken to comply. The inaction has drawn sharp criticism from Democrats, who view it as a blatant disregard for the rule of law and judicial authority.
Booker, a longtime critic of Trump’s immigration policies, took to X (formerly Twitter) earlier this week to voice his disapproval. “The Supreme Court was clear,” he wrote. “There is no room for debate – yet Trump is refusing, in defiance of a lawful court order.”
He added that all members of Congress, regardless of party, should be standing up for the Constitution and demanding immediate action to return Ábrego García to his family in the United States. “This isn’t about politics,” Booker wrote. “It’s about justice.”
The Trump administration has pushed back on the criticism, claiming Democrats are prioritizing undocumented immigrants over the needs and safety of American citizens. On Monday, Republican Representative Riley Moore traveled to El Salvador and visited Cecot, where Ábrego García is believed to be held.
Moore’s visit stirred controversy when he posed in front of a crowded prison cell, giving a thumbs up — a gesture widely condemned by immigration advocates and human rights organizations as insensitive and dehumanizing.
The Cecot facility, known for its strict security and overcrowding, has drawn international criticism. Human rights watchdogs have warned that its conditions fall short of international standards, raising serious concerns about Ábrego García’s well-being while detained there.
Several other Democratic lawmakers have expressed interest in visiting El Salvador to assess the situation firsthand. Members of the House Oversight Committee, including Adriano Espaillat, Robert Garcia, Yassamin Ansari, and Maxwell Alejandro Frost, have all indicated a desire to travel.
Congresswoman Delia Ramirez, who sits on the House Homeland Security Committee, has also formally requested access to Cecot. Lawmakers hope these visits will increase transparency and elevate the urgency of Ábrego García’s case on the international stage.
Senator Booker, who ran for president in 2020 and is considered a possible contender in 2028, has been especially vocal about what he sees as the dangers of a second Trump presidency. His recent 25-hour Senate floor speech, the longest in U.S. history, served as both a policy critique and moral plea.
In that speech, Booker warned of the “grave and urgent” threats posed by Trump’s disregard for democratic norms, judicial authority, and immigrant rights. His remarks gained national attention and were praised by civil liberties groups and immigrant advocacy organizations.
Booker’s upcoming trip signals that he intends to keep the spotlight on immigration justice and the plight of individuals like Ábrego García. His actions underscore a broader Democratic strategy to frame immigration enforcement not just as a political issue, but a constitutional and human rights concern.
As pressure mounts on both the Trump administration and El Salvador’s government, all eyes will be on whether these high-profile visits can influence change — or whether Ábrego García’s situation will become a defining legal and moral standoff between the branches of U.S. government.
