Rep. Mike Collins, R-Ga., claimed in a post on X that he altered the name plaque outside the office of Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md. The Republican lawmaker’s post included a photo in which the plaque outside Van Hollen’s office says that he represents El Salvador.
Sen. Chris Van Hollen meets with Kilmar Abrego Garcia in El Salvador; the senator later denied drinking from the glasses seen on the table, calling the photo a staged attempt to mislead the public during what has become known as “margarita-gate.” (@nayibbukele via X)
OREGON LAWMAKER LATEST DEMOCRAT TO VISIT EL SALVADOR FOR DEPORTED ILLEGAL MIGRANT ABREGO GARCIA
“Hey [Sen. Van Hollen], I went ahead and changed your office plaque for you,” Collins wrote.
Collins has repeatedly criticized Van Hollen for traveling to El Salvador to meet with accused MS-13 member and illegal immigrant Kilmar Abrego-Garcia. In another post on X, Collins slammed Van Hollen as “traitorous.”
Additionally, when Van Hollen first announced his trip to El Salvador, Collins responded by saying, “If you’re going to advocate harder for illegal gang members than you do American citizens, don’t come back.”
Abrego-Garcia’s deportation sparked an uproar among Democrats, many of whom say that the El Salvadorian national was a hard-working Maryland resident whose right to due process was violated.
Kilmar Abrego Garcia was pulled over by Tennessee Highway Patrol in 2022, according to a DHS report obtained by Fox News. (Department of Homeland Security)
KILMAR ABREGO-GARCIA SUSPECTED OF HUMAN TRAFFICKING IN REPORT OBTAINED BY FOX NEWS
However, Abrego-Garcia, who entered the U.S. illegally in 2011, remained in the country unlawfully despite being issued a deportation order back in 2019.
Prince George’s County Police Gang Unit identified Abrego-Garcia as a member of the notorious Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13) gang in 2019, according to Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). The HSI report also noted that Abrego-Garcia was suspected of human trafficking after a Tennessee Highway Patrol trooper encountered him in December 2022.
According to the HSI report, on Dec. 1, 2022, a Tennessee Highway Patrol trooper stopped Abrego-Garcia after he was “observed speeding,” and noticed eight individuals in the vehicle, but no luggage. Abrego-Garcia said he began driving three days prior from Houston, Texas, to Temple Hills, Md., so the individuals could “perform construction work.” Additionally, the individuals in the car reportedly gave the same address as Abrego-Garica’s home. The report states that the trooper suspected it was a human trafficking incident.
The White House released a splitscreen image overnight to underscore the stark contrast between where Republicans and Democrats stand on illegal immigration. (The White House, Sen. Van Hollen via X)
This past week, President Donald Trump hosted Angel Mom Patty Morin, a Maryland resident, at the White House. Morin’s daughter, Rachel, was beaten, raped and killed in Maryland by an illegal migrant from El Salvador in 2023. Patty Morin claims Van Hollen never contacted her after Rachel’s murder.
Fox News Digital reached out to Rep. Collins’ office for comment.
