Overview

• Officials say medical screening is underway for up to 9,000 undocumented migrants to determine fitness for transfer
• Hundreds of potential detainees include nationals from European allies such as Britain, Italy, France, Germany, Ireland and Ukraine
• White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt and Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell have labeled transfer reports as “fake news”
• Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani pledged to prevent any Italians from being sent and other European governments are exploring diplomatic interventions
• Human rights groups and legal experts warn that using Guantánamo Bay for migrant detention resurrects concerns over conditions and is likely to face court challenges