Jeffries Denies Discouragement of Democratic Trips to El Salvador

Reports have emerged suggesting House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries privately discouraged fellow Democrats from making further trips to El Salvador to visit Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a deported immigrant accused of MS-13 affiliation. While several Democratic lawmakers, including Sen. Chris Van Hollen and Rep. Maxine Dexter, have traveled to El Salvador to highlight concerns about due process in Garcia's deportation, Jeffries and his office have repeatedly denied discouraging such visits, calling the reports 'patently false.' Some Democrats, such as Rep. Henry Cuellar, have expressed reservations about making Garcia the centerpiece of due process advocacy, warning it could hurt the party. Despite the controversy, Jeffries has publicly stated that Democrats will 'never stop fighting' for Garcia's release and has praised members who have taken action. The dispute underscores internal divisions within the party over strategy and messaging regarding immigration and deportation cases. There remains no consensus among Democratic leadership on whether to continue or scale back these high-profile trips.