Several U.S. Democratic lawmakers are facing political backlash after reports revealed they used over $7,000 in campaign funds to finance a controversial trip to El Salvador this past spring. The delegation, which included Representatives Robert Garcia, Maxwell Frost, Yassamin Ansari, and Maxine Dexter, traveled to San Salvador on April 21 in an effort to pressure the Trump administration regarding the case of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a man accused of being affiliated with the MS-13 gang.
Although some of the lawmakers publicly claimed they paid for the trip out of their own pocket, official campaign filings show expenditures on airline tickets through carriers like Taca, Avianca, and Volaris, as well as payments for bookings at upscale hotels such as the Hilton. While many stated they personally covered their travel, campaign funds were reportedly used for additional expenses related to the visit. No lodging costs were officially registered in El Salvador.
Kilmar Abrego Garcia, arrested in the United States in 2019, was deported to El Salvador in 2025 under Trump’s renewed deportation policies. He is currently detained at the high-security CECOT prison and faces ongoing legal proceedings for alleged human trafficking charges in the U.S. His legal team and family have denied any ties to the MS-13 gang.
This episode reveals a clash between the political strategy of showing solidarity with due process and the pressing need for transparency. Although the lawmakers’ use of campaign funds appears to be legal, their contradictory public statements about how the trip was financed have sparked a trust issue, drawing criticism and calls for an ethics review.
The trip, intended to spotlight what the lawmakers described as a miscarriage of justice, has instead sparked bipartisan criticism and mockery among Republican figures. Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries, who had previously advised against the trip, later praised certain participants for their advocacy.