Rep. Mike Collins, R-Ga., has sparked fresh controversy after mocking Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., for his recent high-profile visit to El Salvador — by “renaming” his office.
In a viral post on X (formerly Twitter), Collins shared a photo showing a doctored name plaque outside Van Hollen’s Senate office reading:
“Sen. Chris Van Hollen — Representing El Salvador.”
“Hey @ChrisVanHollen, I went ahead and changed your office plaque for you,” Collins captioned the image.
Collins has been a vocal critic of Van Hollen’s visit to meet Kilmar Abrego-Garcia, a deported illegal immigrant and accused MS-13 gang member. In previous posts, the Georgia congressman called Van Hollen’s actions “traitorous” and suggested he was more committed to defending gang-affiliated migrants than American citizens.
“If you’re going to advocate harder for illegal gang members than you do American citizens, don’t come back,” Collins wrote when Van Hollen first announced the trip.
The political firestorm centers around Abrego-Garcia, whose deportation has been defended by Republicans and decried by many Democrats. Supporters of the Maryland senator claim Abrego-Garcia was a long-time resident who was denied due process. But according to a 2019 Homeland Security Investigation report, Abrego-Garcia was identified as an MS-13 member by Prince George’s County Police and had a standing deportation order since 2019.
The same HSI report also alleged that Abrego-Garcia was involved in a suspected human trafficking incident. On Dec. 1, 2022, Tennessee Highway Patrol pulled him over for speeding and found eight undocumented individuals in his car, none with luggage. They all shared the same home address — reportedly Abrego-Garcia’s.
Meanwhile, President Donald Trump recently hosted Angel Mom Patty Morin at the White House. Her daughter, Rachel Morin, was murdered in 2023 by an illegal immigrant from El Salvador. Morin claims Van Hollen never reached out after the tragedy — an omission that critics now point to in contrast with his advocacy for Abrego-Garcia.
As tensions rise over immigration and deportation policy, Van Hollen’s diplomatic outreach — and Collins’ trolling — highlight the growing divide on how lawmakers approach justice, border security, and the legacy of U.S. foreign policy in Central America.