Congressional Delegation Seeks Abrego Garcia's Release
"The principle of due process is one of the fundamental values our nation is founded upon," says SMART General President Michael Coleman
SOLIDARITY: Some 20 national leaders and members of SMART Local 100 joined dozens of supporters at an April press conference demanding the return of their union brother Kilmar Abrego Garcia. (Photo courtesy of SMART Union)
In the latest development of a case that has captured national attention, four House Democrats traveled to El Salvador this week in an unprecedented effort to secure the release of wrongfully deported sheet metal apprentice Kilmar Abrego Garcia. The congressional intervention marks a significant escalation in the ongoing diplomatic situation between the United States and El Salvador.
"The principle of due process is one of the fundamental values our nation is founded upon," said SMART General President Michael Coleman, who has led the union's nationwide campaign for Abrego Garcia's return. "When Kilmar Abrego Garcia was wrongfully deported, that principle was violated."
The urgency of the situation has slightly let up following recent confirmation that Abrego Garcia has been transferred from the notorious CECOT prison to a lower security facility in Santa Ana, El Salvador. The transfer came after Senator Chris Van Hollen was permitted to meet with Abrego Garcia, though notably denied access to his previous detention location.
"Every day that passes without action is another day of injustice," Coleman emphasized in a recent press statement. "The administration's procedural delays cannot obscure the fundamental truth: an American worker was wrongfully torn from his family and workplace, and it's past time to bring him home."
Under Coleman's leadership, SMART union members have maintained a constant presence outside federal courthouses, with Local 24 joining the nationwide campaign for Abrego Garcia's return. The union's persistence has helped transform what began as a labor rights issue into a national conversation about due process and immigration enforcement.
Meanwhile, Abrego Garcia's family faces their own challenges. In a disturbing turn of events, his wife was forced to relocate to a safe house after federal authorities inadvertently disclosed their home address in public court filings. The incident has added another layer of complexity to an already fraught situation, highlighting the cascading consequences of the initial wrongful deportation.
The case has drawn support from a growing coalition of civil rights organizations, Latino community groups, and labor unions. Coleman's calls for justice have been echoed by the AFL-CIO and multiple affiliated unions, who view the case as a critical test of workers' rights and due process protections.
The diplomatic impasse shows no signs of immediate resolution despite the Supreme Court's clear directive to "facilitate" Abrego Garcia's return. While El Salvador's government maintains its sovereign right to detain individuals within its borders, U.S. officials navigate the delicate balance between court mandates and international relations. A federal judge has temporarily halted her order requiring the Trump administration to detail its efforts to secure his return, granting a week's delay in the discovery process.
"Since day one, our demand has been simple," Coleman stated at a recent rally. "Bring Kilmar home and give him the due process that is his right. The Supreme Court has affirmed this, and we won't stop fighting until justice is done."
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