PHOENIX — Arizona Democratic U.S. Rep. Yassamin Ansari returned to Phoenix from her trip to El Salvador on Tuesday.
While she wasn’t able to meet Kilmar Abrego Garcia, who the Trump administration removed from Maryland, Ansari vowed to continue fighting for the right to due process.
She was one of four Democrats who flew to El Salvador to advocate for Garcia and other people deported from the U.S. to El Salvador. Ansari said their outreach efforts spurred the U.S. embassy to contact El Salvador President Nayib Bukele.
We are fighting for due process and it is working.
For the first time, the US Embassy brought our concerns to the government of El Salvador.
We’re going to continue fighting and raising our voices because it’s clear that that’s how we make a difference. pic.twitter.com/oKkKRrHOtT
— Congresswoman Yassamin Ansari (@RepYassAnsari) April 22, 2025
“As a result of our meeting and our advocacy, for the first time, the embassy has raised questions directly to President Nayib Bukele’s administration about the treatment of more than 250 Venezuelan migrants now being held in Salvadoran custody,” Ansari said during a Tuesday press conference.
It’s a breakthrough that means their advocacy is working, she said.
“Fighting for due process, freedoms, and our constitutional rights is working, and we will not stop now,” Ansari said.
Yassamin Ansari raises concerns about due process after Kilmar Abrego Garcia case
Although Ansari wasn’t able to meet with Abrego Garcia during her trip to El Salvador, she met his wife and lawyer, both of whom expressed deep concern. She and other Democrats wrote a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio demanding three things:
- Regular verifiable proof of life from Kilmar that can be shared with his family
- Guaranteed access to council
- The immediate facilitation of his return by the United States government
“We also have to recognize that this is about more than just one man. It’s about all of us.,” Ansari said.
She expressed concerns over President Donald Trump’s comments about exploring the possibility of deporting U.S. citizens.
“Donald Trump is ready and willing to ignore the courts, ignore Congress and use taxpayer dollars to deport American citizens,” Ansari said. “That means that what happened to Kilmar can happen to all of us.”
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