Trump administration plans migrant transfers to Guantanamo
The US administration under President Donald Trump is preparing to transfer thousands of unauthorised migrants to the Guantanamo Bay naval base, according to a report by Politico, cited by The National and agencies on 10th June. The move marks a significant escalation in the administration’s broader efforts to clamp down on illegal immigration.
Sources familiar with the plan say that up to 9,000 individuals are currently being vetted for relocation to the remote US military facility in Cuba. The transfers could begin as early as 11th June, raising concerns among international observers and human rights advocates.
Among those being considered are approximately 800 European nationals. This inclusion has prompted particular unease, given that many allied governments have shown a willingness to repatriate citizens who face deportation, potentially reducing the necessity for such detentions.
President Trump previously signalled this direction in January, signing an executive order authorising preparations to move what he described as “the worst criminal illegal aliens” to Guantanamo Bay. At the time, he stated that the facility had the capacity to hold up to 30,000 individuals.
State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce emphasised that Guantanamo Bay would serve only as a temporary holding site, not a final destination. “It’s not new that we are moving criminal illegal aliens to Guantanamo,” Ms Bruce said on 10th June. “It’s not the final destination. It’s prior to their being sent to their home country.”
She added that the individuals being transferred had no lawful grounds to remain in the United States: “They are being removed because they didn’t have a legal basis to be in the United States.”
The Trump administration’s use of Guantanamo for migrant detention has already drawn legal challenges. In a lawsuit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), the organisation contends that the policy lacks a legitimate legal foundation and violates civil rights protections.
“Instead, defendants are using the threat of detention at Guantanamo to frighten immigrants, deter future migration, induce self-deportation, and coerce people in detention to give up claims against removal and accept deportation elsewhere,” the ACLU stated in its legal filing. “These are impermissible justifications for civil immigration detention.”
As the debate over immigration enforcement continues to intensify, the proposed use of Guantanamo Bay – a site long associated with the indefinite detention of terrorism suspects – adds a controversial new dimension to the administration’s hardline stance.
The National/ Agencies/ Maghrebi.org
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