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3mo ago

Trump Expands Guantánamo Bay to Detain Migrants, Raising Legal and Human Rights Concerns

The facility, historically linked to indefinite detention and human rights abuses, is being repurposed to house up to 30,000 migrants under a controversial executive order.

FILE - In this April 17, 2019, photo, reviewed by U.S. military officials, the control tower is seen through the razor wire inside the Camp VI detention facility in Guantanamo Bay Naval Base, Cuba. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File)
FILE - In this photo reviewed by U.S. military officials, a U.S. soldier stands between two cells, one used as a library and the other a gym, inside the Camp VI detention facility at the Guantanamo Bay U.S. naval base in Cuba, June 6, 2018. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa, File)
FILE - In this photo reviewed by U.S. military officials, the Office of Military Commissions building used for Periodic Review Board hearings stands, on April 18, 2019, in Guantanamo Bay Naval Base, Cuba. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File)
FILE - In this photo reviewed by U.S. military officials, an Army soldier, right, and a Marine stand in front of the gates that separate the Cuban side from the Guantanamo Bay U.S. Naval Base, June 6, 2018. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa, File)

Overview

  • President Donald Trump has ordered the expansion of Guantánamo Bay to detain up to 30,000 migrants, including asylum seekers, as part of a mass deportation plan.
  • Critics argue the move repeats Guantánamo's history of legal ambiguity, human rights violations, and exorbitant costs, with $44 million spent annually per detainee in recent years.
  • Civil rights groups and attorneys claim the administration has provided limited information about detainees and restricted access to legal counsel, raising constitutional concerns.
  • Many of the migrants transferred to Guantánamo are Venezuelans, with some falsely accused of gang affiliations to justify their detention, according to advocacy groups.
  • The expansion has drawn comparisons to past controversial uses of Guantánamo, with experts warning it is an ineffective and costly response to complex migration challenges.