Trump Administration Plans to Send Thousands of Immigrants to Guantanamo Bay

The Trump administration is reportedly planning to send thousands of undocumented immigrants to the military prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, potentially as early as this week. This move represents a significant escalation of the president's mass deportation strategy, with hundreds of individuals from European allied countries potentially targeted.

Immigration officials are considering transferring up to 9,000 foreign nationals to the facility. The individuals being considered for transfer include people from the United Kingdom, Ireland, Italy, France, Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, Lithuania, Poland, Turkey, and Ukraine. Officials are not expected to notify the home countries of these individuals about their impending transfer to the controversial detention center, which opened during the War on Terror.

The naval base is intended to serve as a temporary holding facility for deportees before they are sent to their home countries. This is intended to alleviate overcrowding at immigration detention facilities within the United States. A Department of Defense spokesperson declined to comment, and a request for comment was also made to Homeland Security.

In January, the president indicated that as many as 30,000 immigrants could be imprisoned at the naval base. However, the tents that were to house these immigrants were removed in recent weeks due to a decrease in deportation flights and the prison not reaching capacity.

A recent lawsuit from the American Civil Liberties Union indicates that approximately 70 immigrants are currently detained at the facility. They are reportedly facing harsh conditions, including rodent infestations, inadequate food, a lack of clean clothing, and limited time outside of their cells. The lawsuit suggests the government is using Guantanamo's history of abuse to intimidate immigrants.

The expanded use of Guantanamo would follow pressure from high-ranking Trump administration officials to increase immigration arrests. Trump and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem have defended the use of the facility to detain suspected gang members and "the worst of the worst" criminals. However, the administration has also detained immigrants who have not been charged or convicted of violent crimes.

Amnesty International has condemned the potential use of Guantanamo, calling it a cruel attempt to deny due process and circumvent both U.S. and international law. The organization has called for the closure of the facility. This potential escalation follows the president’s deployment of National Guard service members and U.S. Marines to Los Angeles to address protests against the administration’s anti-immigration agenda.