Hakeem Jeffries Reportedly Tells Dems to Stop Supporting Deported ‘Maryland Man’ [WATCH]

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) is reportedly seeking to tamp down House Democrats’ high-profile efforts to pressure the Trump administration over the deportation of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, an alleged MS-13 member whose removal has generated controversy within the Democratic Party.

According to a report published Monday by The Bulwark, Jeffries has privately discouraged additional trips to El Salvador by House Democrats, even as some members continue to call for renewed focus on the deportation of Garcia and 237 other individuals sent to a high-security Salvadoran prison system following an executive border action by President Donald Trump earlier this year.

While Jeffries has not publicly criticized the congressional delegations to El Salvador, three sources—including two Democratic aides and one lawmaker—told The Bulwark that the House Minority Leader believes the trips have “run their course.”

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“They want to let the El Salvador stuff slow down,” a senior House staffer reportedly said.

TODAY: Hakeem Jeffries tells Democrats no more trips to El Salvador.

LAST WEEK: Hakeem Jeffries encouraged trips to El Salvador—saying Van Hollen showed “great leadership” and it was “exactly the type of action that, as members of Congress, we can do.”

What changed? 🧐 pic.twitter.com/2XBrIv5qGt

— Kyle Martinsen (@KyleMartinsen_) April 30, 2025

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When asked on Monday whether Democrats should continue sending members to El Salvador to advocate for Garcia and others, Jeffries sidestepped the question, stating, “Our reaction is that Donald Trump has the lowest approval rating of any president in modern American history.”

Members who recently traveled to El Salvador include Reps. Robert Garcia (D-CA), Maxwell Frost (D-FL), Yassamin Ansari (D-AZ), and Maxine Dexter (D-OR).

Their trip followed a Supreme Court decision on April 10 requiring the Trump administration to facilitate the return of Garcia, whose removal was challenged on procedural grounds.

Garcia, who has been described by Democrats as a “Maryland man,” was deported in March.

However, documents obtained by the New York Post and others indicate longstanding allegations of gang affiliation and domestic abuse.

In 2018, Garcia was accused in Maryland court papers of being affiliated with the violent MS-13 gang.

The allegations were made in a custody petition filed by Edwin Trejo Ramos, the ex-partner of Garcia’s wife, Jennifer Vasquez Sura.

Ramos, who is incarcerated, also claimed Sura had left their children with an 11-year-old and alleged that she attempted suicide.

NEW: We @nypost have obtained court docs from 2018 showing
Kilmar Abrego Garcia was being accused of gang membership by his wife’s ex and the father of two of her kids.

“She is dating a gang member,” Jennifer Vasquez Sura’s ex, Edwin Trejo Ramos alleged in a petition filed in… pic.twitter.com/2Vg1gTYGUf

— Jennie Taer 🎗️ (@JennieSTaer) April 29, 2025

In 2021, Sura filed a protective order against Garcia. During a recent television appearance, she hesitated when asked about the past allegations—an exchange that drew further attention from Trump administration officials.

On social media, political commentators noted that the Trump administration had effectively forced Democratic lawmakers into publicly defending a figure linked to both domestic violence and organized crime.

Several criticized the political optics of the trips and questioned the use of taxpayer funds to send members of Congress to advocate for Garcia’s return.

Initially, Jeffries’ office declined to comment on the Bulwark report.

Why not? https://t.co/9l59sQtTcn

— Tricia McLaughlin (@TriciaOhio) April 30, 2025

This is why Hakeem Jeffries told Democrats to stop glorifying the “Maryland Man” and flying to El Salvador

He’s a straight up wife beating cartel goon https://t.co/YHPc90Fwjh

— DC_Draino (@DC_Draino) May 1, 2025

After publication, Jeffries’ spokesperson Christie Stephenson called the report “thinly sourced,” but did not directly deny the claim that the Minority Leader had sought to slow down further travel.

Stephenson’s statement also did not address whether Jeffries personally supports continued congressional advocacy on Garcia’s behalf.

The Biden-Harris administration deported more than two million individuals during its four-year term, but the Trump administration’s new policy directives—particularly those related to fast-track deportations and cooperation with foreign prison systems—have reignited debate over immigration enforcement and due process rights.

With border security remaining a top concern among American voters and President Trump reporting a 99.99% reduction in illegal migrant crossings during his first 100 days back in office, Democrats face growing internal divisions over how to respond to high-profile deportation cases like Garcia’s.

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