U.S. Sen. Chris Van Hollen on Tuesday made a direct appeal to President Donald Trump in the continuing case of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, telling him in a lengthy letter that the Salvadoran government has contradicted his administration’s statements about which government is in charge of facilitating his release and return to Maryland.

As criticism of that stance spread, and federal courts sided against the administration, Vice President J. D. Vance, the Trump adviser Stephen Miller, Bondi, and other top Cabinet officials went on the attack. The White House went from calling Abrego Garcia’s deportation a “clerical error” to insisting that no mistake had been made at all.

Border Czar talks about Kilmar Abrego Garcia deportation case