Four Dems denied meeting with Kilmar Abrego Garcia after flying to El Salvador

Four Democratic lawmakers traveled to El Salvador in an effort to release alleged MS-13 gang member Kilmar Abrego Garcia, who was deported by the Trump administration last month, only to be denied the ability to meet with Abrego Garcia by the local government, which cited that the trip was not officially approved.

Reps. Robert Garcia (D-CA), Maxwell Frost (D-FL), Yassamin Ansari (D-AZ), and Maxine Dexter (D-OR) all traveled to El Salvador on Monday morning, according to Axios. House Oversight Chairman James Comer wrote on X that El Salvador refused to meet with the four Democratic lawmakers after their arrival.

"El Salvador just denied Democrats from meeting with the MS-13 gang member because they didn't travel to the country in an official capacity. I will never authorize a penny of taxpayer dollars to send Democrats to El Salvador for a photo-op & margaritas," Comer wrote on X.

Both Garcia and Frost requested that they have authorization for the trip, as is procedure for all official trips taken by House members, but were denied by House Oversight Chairman James Comer (R-KY). They took the trip anyway.

Comer wrote in his denial of the trip, "If you ... wish to meet with him, you can spend your own money. But I will not approve a single dime of taxpayer funds for use on the excursion you have requested," in his response. He later appeared on Fox News and made similar comments.

Frost reacted to the news that the Democrats were denied the ability to meet with Abrego Garcia, and told MSNBC that they "got word at the embassy that our request has been denied by the government here locally."

"They say it’s because we’re not here on an official capacity. This is part of the reason why Representative Robert Garcia and I sent a letter to Chairman Comer of the Oversight Committee asking for this to be an official trip but we’re not giving up," Frost added.

Ansari posted a video statement on X, saying that the four Democrats were “fighting for the future of our democracy” by putting in the effort to get Abrego Garcia out of El Salvador.