In Washington, efforts to increase transparency regarding deportations to El Salvador saw a setback as Senate Republicans thwarted a Democratic resolution designed to compel more clarity from the Trump administration. The vote, which took place on Thursday, was part of ongoing attempts by Democratic senators to scrutinize and challenge the policies of the Trump administration through Senate resolutions.
The Senate voted 45-50 against a motion to advance the resolution directly to the Senate floor for discussion. Virginia Senator Tim Kaine, who spearheaded the resolution, emphasized that the required information was crucial following acknowledgments from the Trump administration regarding the wrongful deportation of individuals to El Salvador. Kaine further expressed concerns over Trump’s contemplation of deporting American citizens there as well.
The resolution, which Republicans prevented from advancing, aimed to mandate that administration officials provide updates to Congress detailing compliance efforts with court decisions on deportations. Highlighting specific cases like that of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, who was wrongly deported and ordered to return by a Maryland judge, Democrats are pressing for accountability and transparency.
Democrats are not only focusing on the Trump administration but also addressing issues involving the Salvadoran government, which collaborates with the U.S. administration. In addition to deportation practices, the resolution sought to uncover financial transactions with El Salvador and examine its human rights record more closely. Senate Democrats continue using legislative maneuvers available to them in the minority to question and critique Trump’s policy agenda.
The Democrats’ strategic efforts reflect a broader pattern with previous actions such as opposing Trump’s tariff initiatives. For instance, a resolution was passed by the Senate to counter potential tariffs on Canada, and another similar resolution was narrowly blocked concerning global tariffs. In these instances, a few Republicans sided with Democrats, though Thursday’s resolution on El Salvador did not see any Republican support.
Utilizing different legislative provisions, Democrats are pushing for votes under statutes that necessitate Senate consideration of “privileged” resolutions—bills that must be addressed regardless of majority leadership’s stance. The measure rejected on Thursday was pursued under the Foreign Assistance Act, empowering senators to demand votes to assess a country’s human rights conduct.
In a separate move, a group of Democratic senators, led by Massachusetts Sen. Ed Markey, addressed communication to Secretary of State Marco Rubio seeking clarity on monetary contributions made by the U.S. to El Salvador for prisoners, calling for an explanation on the legality of such payments.
Democrats have voiced their intention to persist in advocating for more transparency through additional legislative votes. On the same day, Sen. Kaine, alongside other Democrats, introduced a joint resolution aiming to block a proposed $1.9 billion arms sale to Qatar—this amid Qatar’s offer to provide a $400 million luxury jet as part of Trump’s Air Force One fleet. Should the Senate Foreign Relations Committee not act on the resolution, Democrats are poised to force a vote on the Senate floor.
Senator Chris Murphy of Connecticut, a key figure in the Foreign Relations Committee, has taken a leading role with Kaine and others in opposing the arms sale to Qatar. “Unless Qatar withdraws their offer of a ‘palace in the sky’ or Trump declines it, I am prepared to obstruct this arms deal,” Murphy remarked, marking the group’s determination to hold firm against these international transactions.