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Hagerstown nail salon owner freed after 5 months in ICE custody

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Senator Chris Van Hollen @vanhollen.senate.gov · 17h

Trump is saying the quiet part out loud: he sent a $20B taxpayer-financed bailout to help his far-right buddy Milei cling to power.

Meanwhile our government is shut down, public servants aren't getting paid & we're barreling toward a Trump-made health care crisis. Sounds like Argentina First to me.

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 21h

Trump on Milei: "If he loses, we will not be generous with Argentina."

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Senator Chris Van Hollen @vanhollen.senate.gov · 19h

Trump said he'd focus on the “worst of the worst," but he's mostly focused on people like Melissa Tran — a MD business owner who's lived here 30 yrs and is a fixture of her community.

Cruel.

I salute all who fought for her release. After months in ICE detention, she's finally home.

Melissa Tran, a Hagerstown mom and nail salon owner, was freed five months after being detained by ICE and jailed in Washington state. A federal judge ruled that U.S. officials had no basis for prolon...

www.thebanner.com

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Senator Chris Van Hollen @vanhollen.senate.gov · 1d

Trump and his cronies have been attacking our dedicated public servants from Day 1 — and now they're weaponizing Trump's shutdown to illegally fire more federal workers. We won't stand for it.

Tune in as my colleagues and I discuss how we're fighting back:

Van Hollen, colleagues rally against Trump's illegal attacks on federal workers

News outlets broadly reject Pentagon rules before deadline for signing

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Senator Chris Van Hollen @vanhollen.senate.gov · 1d

This shouldn’t be a close call. It’s vital that the media stand up for a free press and not be gagged by the lawless Trump administration. Everyone must stand for freedom.

The Washington Post and other major news outlets have refused to sign the Defense Department’s restrictive new media policy, citing First Amendment concerns.

Johnson describes planned No Kings rally as ‘hate America,’ ‘pro-Hamas’ gathering

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Senator Chris Van Hollen @vanhollen.senate.gov · 1d

These are the same kind of weasels who would’ve called George Washington & America’s revolutionaries “terrorists.” They spend their days sucking up to King Trump & demonizing peaceful protest just as some in America sought to appease King George III.

Looking forward to No Kings Day.

Organizers largely blew off the rhetoric, but some Democrats online criticized the tone.

www.politico.com

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Senator Chris Van Hollen @vanhollen.senate.gov · 1d

Seven weeks ago I met with families in Hostages Square and I am relieved their long nightmare has finally come to an end with the return of the remaining living hostages. I also witnessed the utter devastation in Gaza and am relieved by the ceasefire & surge of humanitarian aid to civilians there.

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Senator Chris Van Hollen @vanhollen.senate.gov · 4d

They shut down the government with a partisan plan that has us barreling toward a national health care crisis — and they won't even come to the table.

Oh, and House Republicans have been on a paid vacation for weeks. They just don't give a damn about anyone other than their billionaire buddies.

White House declines to engage Democrats as shutdown drags into second week

The White House has yet to engage Democrats on ending the government shutdown, despite the potential political ramifications of the closure.

Trump administration begins laying off federal workers amid shutdown

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Senator Chris Van Hollen @vanhollen.senate.gov · 4d

This isn't just cruel to these dedicated public servants — it also harms the millions of Americans who will lose the vital services they provide.

Trump's been illegally withholding funds and slashing services since Day 1 — and is on even shakier legal ground now.

Back to court.

White House budget director Russell Vought said reductions in force were underway.

MIT rejects Trump administration deal for priority federal funding

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Senator Chris Van Hollen @vanhollen.senate.gov · 4d

This is what courage in the face of authoritarianism looks like. No university should take Trump's bribe & surrender their integrity — bending the knee to a bully only feeds the beast & puts ALL our rights at risk.

Others should follows MIT’s example ASAP.

MIT is one of the nine schools that were asked to agree to adopt conservative priorities and policies in exchange for funding perks.

New York AG Letitia James indicted for alleged fraud following pressure from Trump

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Senator Chris Van Hollen @vanhollen.senate.gov · 5d

Presidents and governors shouldn't be able to deploy National Guard troops from one state to another if that state's governor objects.

That is common sense, and yet Republicans just blocked my amendment to stop this blatant abuse of power. Another shameful abdication of duty.

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Senator Chris Van Hollen @vanhollen.senate.gov · 5d

Another day, another hit to our democracy as Trump’s corruption of the DOJ continues. AG Bondi is his tool for prosecuting his political targets.

Normalizing this is how democracies die. I refuse to accept it — and the American people shouldn’t either.

New York Attorney General Letitia James has been indicted on at least one count of alleged fraud following pressure from President Donald Trump.

abcnews.link

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Senator Chris Van Hollen @vanhollen.senate.gov · 5d

This is the first hopeful moment in a long time. At last we have an agreement for a ceasefire in Gaza, the release of all the hostages, and a surge of desperately needed aid to the people of Gaza. It is long overdue.

My full statement:

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Senator Chris Van Hollen @vanhollen.senate.gov · 6d

First Republicans shut down the government instead of lowering health care costs, and now they blocked our bill to end Trump's sham "energy emergency" — which is just a gift to Big Oil that is gutting clean energy and RAISING energy prices.

Another betrayal of American families.

thehill.com

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Senator Chris Van Hollen @vanhollen.senate.gov · 6d

Trump officials and Laura Ingraham don’t get the difference between furloughing and firing federal workers.

Let me break it down for them: workers are furloughed because Trump shut down the government. His threats to FIRE them are illegal — and would devastate American families:

What Trump officials and Laura Ingraham don't get about the shutdown

Federal workers not entitled to back pay after shutdown, budget office claims

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Senator Chris Van Hollen @vanhollen.senate.gov · 7d

If Republicans don’t pass our bill to reopen the government and extend ACA tax credits, millions of families will see their health care costs soar.

Here's just one example of a MD couple who would see their costs nearly TRIPLE — a health catastrophe and another Trump betrayal:

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Senator Chris Van Hollen @vanhollen.senate.gov · 7d

Let me be clear: backpay for these workers is required under a federal law I wrote with former Senator Cardin — which Trump signed — during the last Trump shutdown.

This is just more fear mongering from a president who wants a blank check for lawlessness. It won't work.

Federal workers may not be entitled to back pay after the government shutdown ends, the Trump administration’s budget office wrote in a new draft memo obtained by The Washington Post, ratcheting up te...

Judge Poised to Free Abrego Garcia if Officials Can’t Supply Deportation Plans

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Senator Chris Van Hollen @vanhollen.senate.gov · 8d

On this solemn two-year anniversary of the horrific Hamas terror attacks of October 7th, let us remember the lives lost that day, and commit ourselves to bringing home the hostages, ending the war in Gaza and building a future that ensures security, peace, and dignity for all.

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Senator Chris Van Hollen @vanhollen.senate.gov · 8d

The Trump admin has lied about this case from the start — and now it can't get its story straight about next steps for Mr. Abrego Garcia.

This reeks of a political prosecution and the courts must continue to ensure his due process rights are protected.

www.nytimes.com

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Senator Chris Van Hollen @vanhollen.senate.gov · 8d

Every day Republicans are choosing to keep the government closed rather than lower your health care costs.

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Senator Chris Van Hollen @vanhollen.senate.gov · 8d

🚨STARTING NOW: As we enter another week of Trump's shutdown, @alsobrooks.senate.gov and I are hosting a telephone town hall with Marylanders to discuss our fight to reopen the government and prevent a health care crisis in America.

Tune in: www.vanhollen.senate.gov/live

Live | U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen of Maryland

The Official U.S. Senate website of Senator Chris Van Hollen of Maryland

www.vanhollen.senate.gov

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Senator Chris Van Hollen @vanhollen.senate.gov · 8d

Trump is taking a wrecking ball to Lady Liberty — snuffing out her torch of freedom and humanity.

And by favoring white South Africans over true refugees, he is making a mockery of the entire system. A truly twisted person.

Trump Administration Is Said to Plan to Cut Refugee Admissions to a Record Low

www.nytimes.com

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Senator Chris Van Hollen @vanhollen.senate.gov · 9d

I’m glad Van Jones apologized for his sick joking about dead kids in Gaza.

But the problem goes deeper: he spread Netanyahu propaganda that the mass killings of civilians in Gaza—including 20K+ kids—is Iranian fake news.

It’s not the students and young people who are fooled. It’s Van Jones.

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Senator Chris Van Hollen @vanhollen.senate.gov · 9d

JD Vance is blaming Democrats for Trump’s government shutdown. That’s BS.

What he didn’t tell you? Senate Republicans voted against our bill to reopen the government and prevent a health care crisis FOUR TIMES.

The truth: They’d rather keep it shut than lower health care costs.

October 5, 2025