The following letter (with slighly varying wording) was sent to my House Rep and both Senators:
Dear Representative Huizenga,
I’m asking you to please to join Senator Van Hollen and work to rescue Kilmar Abrego Garcia from El Salvador. I also ask that you
- forcefully speak out against Trump’s unconstitutional plan to send US citizens, which he calls “homegrown criminals,” to a foreign gulag,
- demand a complete shutdown of all detainees being sent to foreign prisons,
- and hold the administration accountable for defying orders by the Supreme Court by filing articles of impeachment for Trump and other Cabinet officials responsible for this unconstitutional act.
If the Trump administration is able to traffic an innocent man like Abrego Garcia to a foreign gulag, they will be emboldened to do the same to others. This terrifying and evil practice needs to be stopped now.
Thank you.
Sincerely,
Rev. Kenneth Arthur
Here’s the incredibly disappointing response from my House Rep, received July 21, 2025, in which he just repeats back White House propoganda and lies:
Dear Mr. Arthur,
Thank you for contacting me with your concerns regarding Kilmar Abrego Garcia. I always appreciate hearing from constituents and welcome this opportunity to respond.
Kilmar Abrego Garcia is an illegal immigrant and according to the Department of Homeland Security, a gang member from El Salvador. While he was deported to El Salvador in March of 2025, and in June, he was returned to the United States. Upon his return, he was charged with two felonies: conspiracy to unlawfully transport illegal aliens for financial gain and unlawful transportation of illegal aliens for financial gain. Mr. Garcia is currently being held in Nashville, Tennessee, as ongoing litigation continues. Please know, I will continue to monitor this situation with your thoughts in mind.
Again, I appreciate you taking the time to share your thoughts with me, and please do not hesitate to do so in the future. To stay up to date with the latest news on our work in Congress, you may sign up at huizenga.house.gov/forms/emailsignup/ to receive my e-newsletter, the Huizenga Huddle.
Sincerely,
Bill Huizenga
Member of Congress
Response from Senator Slotkin on September 25, 2025:
Dear Mr. Arthur,
Thank you for reaching out to my office to share your thoughts on immigration, due process, and the rule of law. I apologize for the delay in getting you this response. As your new Senator as of January 2025, I sincerely appreciate hearing from you.
I am deeply concerned about the Administration’s attack on civil rights, public safety, and constitutional protections in the name of furthering their deportation goals. Law enforcement agents have broken car windows and dragged people out of those windows to arrest them. They have surrounded students in masks and in plain clothes in scenes that do not look like the America we know. Dozens of U.S. citizens have been detained by immigration officials or removed from this country. Senior Administration officials have talked about suspending habeas corpus, the constitutional right that ensures everyone can have their day in court and not be detained without a sufficient reason. We fought a revolution to protect this right, and our founders believed it to be so critical to who we are as a nation that they enshrined it into the very first article of our Constitution.
Kilmar Abrego Garcia was sent to a prison in El Salvador in March, despite a 2019 order of protection from an immigration judge preventing him from being sent to El Salvador. The Administration agreed this was an error, and in April the Supreme Court ruled 9-0 that they must facilitate Mr. Abrego Garcia’s return. However, for months, the Administration refused to do so, until finally relenting in June and returning Mr. Garcia to the U.S. to face federal criminal charges. He was finally released from criminal custody in August. This is the first time he has been free since the Trump administration deported him to El Salvador in March.
I have long advocated for major changes to our broken immigration system. It’s not working for anyone: not for our business owners, not for our farmers, not for the agents and law enforcement who protect our border and enforce our laws, not for the immigrants who want to work legally in the United States, and not for those fearing persecution and death in their home countries. And as someone who spent my whole career protecting the homeland, I understand the importance of securing our country from outside threats. All countries deserve to know who is coming across their borders, and if noncitizens are here illegally or commit crimes, they need to leave.
And while your note was about Mr. Abrego Garcia’s case specifically, this is bigger than that. Because what the Trump Administration is doing is disregarding our constitutional protections to meet their deportation agenda.
Please know that I am tracking these issues closely, and I intend to hold the Administration accountable for their actions that violate the law and our constitutional rights. In the meantime, I am working to make sure everyone has the tools and resources they need to operate amid this ongoing assault on our democratic rights. Since January, my casework staff has helped more than 600 constituents with immigration and democracy issues, including visa and passport assistance. We are here to help Michiganders in need of immigration support. If you need assistance, please reach out to my office at https://www.slotkin.senate.gov/services/casework.
Once again, my sincere thanks for reaching out. I believe that engaging your elected officials is a critical component of our democracy and allows us to better represent you, so thank you for taking the time to get in touch.
Last thing: if you want to keep up with my work for Michigan in the U.S. Senate, you can visit my website at https://www.slotkin.senate.gov/services/newsletter/ and sign up for my newsletter. You can also find regular updates on social media by following me on Facebook, X, Threads, Bluesky, YouTube, or Instagram. The most important part of my job is being responsive to Michiganders and ensuring their concerns are heard. Please do not hesitate to contact me for this or any other matter of concern to you.
Sincerely,
Elissa Slotkin
U.S. Senator for Michigan