Dem senators propose bill to punish El Salvador for ‘collusion' with Trump

Yahoo13-06-2025

Democratic Senators Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., Tim Kaine D-Va., and Alex Padilla, D-Calif., introduced legislation on Thursday to hold Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele and other Salvadoran leaders "accountable" for their alleged human rights abuses and for the country's "collusion with the Trump administration to imprison people from the United States without due process."
Titled the El Salvador Accountability Act of 2025, the bill would impose property-blocking and visa sanctions on Bukele and other Salvadoran officials "who have engaged in international human rights violations or worked to deprive individuals residing in the United States of their rights under the U.S. Constitution." The measure would also block any U.S. funding to the Salvadoran government and instruct the U.S. to oppose international financial assistance being sent.
This comes after the Trump administration sent over 200 illegal, alleged gang members to the infamous, high-security prison CECOT, which has served as a detainment facility for many of El Salvador's most notorious criminals.
The move was met with staunch opposition by Democrats who accused the administration of depriving the illegal aliens removed of their due process rights. Democrats took particular issue with the deportation of illegal alien and suspected MS-13 gang member Kilmar Abrego Garcia, who was sent to the prison in March.
Doj Charges Kilmar Abrego Garcia With Human Smuggling And Conspiracy
Van Hollen was the first of several Democrats to fly to El Salvador to meet with Abrego Garcia and to advocate for his return to the U.S.
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Abrego Garcia, whom the DOJ is prosecuting on human trafficking charges and who is also an alleged wife-beater, was returned to the U.S. on June 6 to stand trial.
Van Hollen released a statement celebrating Abrego Garcia's return, saying, "This is not about the man, it's about his constitutional rights – and the rights of all."
In a statement announcing the bill on Thursday, Van Hollen accused Bukele and the Salvadoran government of "colluding with the Trump Administration" by "taking American taxpayer dollars to imprison people as part of a scheme to violate their constitutional rights."
Ag Bondi Details 'Very Serious Charges' Facing Kilmar Abrego Garcia
"We must hold Bukele and his cronies accountable for these wrongful actions as well as for the gross violations of human rights they are committing in El Salvador," wrote Van Hollen.
"We must send a clear signal that these injustices are unacceptable and must end," he said.
Democrats Celebrate Return Of Suspected Human Trafficker Kilmar Abrego Garcia
Padilla, who also flew to El Salvador to advocate for Abrego Garcia, commented on the legislation as well, saying that "imposing economic sanctions and visa restrictions on Bukele and his corrupt government is a necessary step to push El Salvador to finally uphold international human rights law and respect fundamental civil liberties."
"We must hold Bukele and all responsible parties accountable for the suspension of constitutional rights and continued collusion with the Trump Administration to imprison people from the United States without due process," he added.
Padilla was detained by authorities on Thursday after attempting to disrupt a press conference being held in Los Angeles by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.
Assistant Secretary of Homeland Security Tricia McLaughlin responded to the legislation in a statement to Fox News Digital in which she quipped: "Is this just another excuse for Senator Van Hollen to fly down to El Salvador on U.S. taxpayer's dime to dine with gang members and terrorists?"
White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson also chimed in, telling Fox News Digital in an emailed statement that "Chris Van Hollen (D-Illegal Alien) continues to embarrass himself and betray his constituents by spending more time representing criminal illegal aliens than American citizens."
"His taxpayer-funded vacation to El Salvador to sip margaritas with a terrorist, human-trafficker, and wife-beater wasn't enough – now he wants to keep more criminal illegals in American communities," Jackson remarked, adding "All Americans should be grateful for CECOT, which houses violent criminal illegal aliens who threaten the safety and security of everyone."Original article source: Dem senators propose bill to punish El Salvador for 'collusion' with Trump

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President Lee picks South Korea's first civilian defense chief in 64 years

The Hill

38 minutes ago

The Hill

President Lee picks South Korea's first civilian defense chief in 64 years

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korean President Lee Jae Myung nominated a five-term liberal lawmaker as defense minister Monday, breaking with a tradition of appointing retired military generals. The announcement came as several prominent former defense officials, including ex-Defense Minister Kim Yong Hyun, face high-profile criminal trials over their roles in carrying out martial law last year under then-President Yoon Suk Yeol, who was indicted on rebellion charges and removed from office. Ahn Gyu-back, a lawmaker from Lee's Democratic Party, has served on the National Assembly's defense committee and chaired a legislative panel that investigated the circumstances surrounding Yoon's martial law decree. Yoon's authoritarian move involved deploying hundreds of heavily armed troops to the National Assembly and election commission offices in what prosecutors described as an illegal attempt to shut down the legislature and arrest political opponents and election officials. That sparked calls to strengthen civilian control over the military, and Lee promised during his election campaign to appoint a defense minister with a civilian background. Since a 1961 coup that brought military dictator Park Chung-hee to power, all of South Korea's defense ministers have come from the military — a trend that continued even after the country's democratization in the late 1980s. While Ahn will face a legislative hearing, the process is likely to be a formality, since the Democrats hold a comfortable majority in the National Assembly and legislative consent isn't required for Lee to appoint him. Among Cabinet appointments, Lee only needs legislative consent for prime minister, Seoul's nominal No. 2 job. 'As the first civilian Minister of National Defense in 64 years, he will be responsible for leading and overseeing the transformation of the military after its mobilization in martial law,' Kang Hoon-sik, Lee's chief of staff, said in a briefing. Ahn was among 11 ministers nominated by Lee on Monday, with longtime diplomat Cho Hyun selected as foreign minister and five-term lawmaker Chung Dong-young returning for another stint as unification minister — a position he held from 2004 to 2005 as Seoul's point man for relations with North Korea.