Grassley pressed on wrongly deported man in heated exchange at town hall

Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) faced tense questions at a Tuesday town hall over the Trump administration’s refusal to return Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Maryland man wrongfully deported to El Salvador. Grassley told attendees that returning Abrego Garcia isn’t within Congress’s power, prompting jeers and accusations of ignoring a Supreme Court ruling that ordered the administration to facilitate the man’s return.

When constituents cited the Fifth Amendment’s due process protections and a $6 million U.S. payment to El Salvador for detaining migrants, Grassley reiterated that El Salvador’s president was not bound by U.S. courts. Attendees expressed anger, with one demanding, “Why won’t you do your job, senator?”

Abrego Garcia had legal protection from removal in 2019 and no criminal record. His family says he fled gang violence; the Trump administration claims he is tied to MS-13.

Grassley eventually shifted the discussion to tariffs, but the confrontation highlighted rising frustration with Trump-era immigration enforcement.

Sources

• The Hill – MBFC Rating