Dexter Returns from El Salvador After Blocked Attempt to Visit Wrongfully Deported Man, Demands Proof of Life and Accountability
PORTLAND, OR — Congresswoman Maxine Dexter, M.D. (OR-03), returned from El Salvador, where she demanded answers and accountability from the Trump Administration on the illegal deportation of immigrants to El Salvador, including Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a wrongfully deported Maryland man. Despite repeated attempts, Congresswoman Dexter was denied access to see Mr. Abrego Garcia, a decision that raises even more alarm about his life, health, and well-being.
“This is what a constitutional crisis looks like,” Dexter said. “I will not sit silently by while due process is discarded, the constitution is trampled, and families are torn apart. My constituents deserve leaders who will fight for justice—even when it’s uncomfortable. If we allow one person’s rights to be ignored, we set fire to the rights of us all. I will continue using every tool at my disposal—from litigation, legislation, and public pressure to fight to uphold our democracy.”
While in El Salvador, Dexter led two urgent letters to the U.S. Department of State and U.S. Embassy officials:
- On Kilmar Abrego Garcia: Dexter and her colleagues demanded regular, verifiable proof of life—including visual confirmation of Mr. Abrego Garcia’s well-being—access to legal counsel, and his immediate return home.
- On Andry José Hernández Romero: Dexter also demanded immediate access to Mr. Hernandez Romero, a Venezuelan asylum seeker who may be imprisoned in El Salvador’s mega-prison, CECOT, to conduct a welfare check and ensure his access to legal counsel.
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