Updated Story: U.S. to Detain Criminal Aliens at Guantanamo Bay

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Updated Story: U.S. to Detain Criminal Aliens at Guantanamo Bay \ Newslooks \ Washington DC \ Mary Sidiqi \ Evening Edition \ Former President Donald Trump announced an updated immigration policy to detain thousands of immigrants at Guantanamo Bay, targeting those deemed “the worst criminal aliens.” The facility, known for holding post-9/11 detainees, will be expanded. While details remain unclear, critics and legal experts have condemned the move, calling it a violation of human rights. Cuban officials also denounced the decision as illegal and inhumane.

Updated Story: Trump’s Plan to Use Guantanamo for Immigrant Detention – Quick Look

Trump’s Announcement: Plans to detain thousands of “criminal aliens” at Guantanamo Bay.
Existing Facility: A small migrant center currently holds a limited number of detainees.
Expansion Plans: Officials say it will be modified to accommodate high-priority cases.
Who Will Be Detained? Those considered “dangerous criminals” or “hard to deport.”
Legal Concerns: Critics compare it to indefinite detention policies of past wars.
U.S. Detention Capacity: ICE can currently hold around 41,000 detainees nationwide.
Cuba’s Response: Officials condemned the move as illegal and inhumane.

Deep Look

Former President Donald Trump has once again made immigration enforcement a central issue, announcing plans to use the Guantanamo Bay detention center to hold thousands of individuals he describes as “the worst criminal aliens.” The controversial move was revealed Wednesday during the signing of the Laken Riley Act, a bill aimed at enforcing stricter immigration policies.

“We’re going to send them out to Guantanamo,” Trump declared, reaffirming his commitment to large-scale deportations and detentions.

Shortly after the signing, he issued a presidential memorandum directing federal agencies to begin preparations for housing criminal immigrants at the facility. Border czar Tom Homan confirmed that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) would be responsible for running the expanded facility. However, no clear details have emerged on how this policy will be implemented.

The Role of Guantanamo Bay in Immigration Detention

While Guantanamo Bay—commonly referred to as Gitmo—is best known for housing terrorism suspects after the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks, the naval base also has a smaller, lesser-known facility used to detain intercepted migrants.

The Migrant Operations Center, located on the base, has primarily been used to detain individuals caught attempting to reach the U.S. by boat—mainly from Haiti and Cuba.
It is a small facility with limited capacity, consisting of a handful of buildings.
The current infrastructure is insufficient to house the 30,000 people Trump suggested could be sent there.

Homan assured reporters that the administration would expand upon the existing migrant center, but no specific details were given on how this would be accomplished.

Who Will Be Sent to Guantanamo?

The Biden administration had previously moved away from the idea of detaining immigrants at Guantanamo. Trump’s plan, however, represents a return to strict immigration policies and a more aggressive approach to deportations.

Officials stated that the facility would be used for “the worst of the worst” offenders.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem echoed this sentiment, emphasizing the need to remove dangerous criminals who are difficult to deport.
A White House statement described detainees as “high-priority criminal aliens unlawfully present in the U.S.”
A senior administration official, speaking anonymously, added that some countries refuse to accept deported individuals, creating a need for long-term detention options.

Critics, however, argue that these claims are politically motivated and lack substantial evidence.

Legal and Human Rights Concerns

Trump’s proposal has drawn fierce criticism from legal experts, human rights organizations, and immigration advocates.

The International Refugee Assistance Project reported that Guantanamo’s migrant detention facility operates under “prison-like conditions” and lacks transparency.
Deepa Alagesan, a senior supervising attorney with the group, warned that expanding its use for mass immigrant detention is a “frightening prospect.”
The Center for Constitutional Rights (CCR), which has represented detainees at Guantanamo since the post-9/11 era, condemned the move:“Trump’s order sends a clear message: migrants and asylum seekers are being cast as the new terrorist threat, deserving to be discarded in an island prison,” said Vince Warren, executive director of CCR.

The legal precedent of using Guantanamo for indefinite detention raises significant constitutional and human rights concerns, making this plan likely to face legal challenges.

Can the U.S. Handle Mass Deportations?

Trump has vowed to deport millions of undocumented immigrants, but the U.S. government currently lacks the resources to detain such large numbers.

ICE’s annual budget only supports 41,000 detention beds across the country.
Detained immigrants are typically held in ICE-run processing centers, private detention facilities, or local jails.
There are no facilities currently equipped to detain large numbers of families, who account for one-third of border arrivals.

Historically, U.S. military bases have been used for immigration purposes, including:

Vietnamese refugees (1970s)
Cuban and Haitian asylum seekers (1990s)
Kosovar and Afghan refugees (2000s-2010s)

However, experts argue that detaining immigrants at Guantanamo is unprecedented and controversial in modern U.S. history.

Cuba’s Response: A Political Flashpoint

The Cuban government has strongly condemned the plan.

President Miguel Díaz-Canel called it “an act of brutality”, emphasizing that Guantanamo is located in “illegally occupied Cuba.”
Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez criticized the U.S. for using a base “created for torture and indefinite detention.”
Cuba has long opposed the U.S. lease of Guantanamo, rejecting its annual rent payments as a symbol of American imperialism.

This renewed use of Guantanamo could increase tensions between Washington and Havana, further complicating U.S.-Cuba relations.

Conclusion: A Policy Ripe for Controversy

Trump’s proposal to use Guantanamo Bay as a detention facility for immigrants is one of the most controversial immigration policies in modern history.

Supporters argue that it is a necessary measure to control crime and enforce immigration laws.
Critics warn that it is an unconstitutional policy that equates immigrants with terrorists and violates human rights.
Legal experts predict significant court battles ahead, with challenges based on humanitarian, legal, and diplomatic grounds.

As the 2024 election cycle continues, this policy is sure to remain a major point of contention in the national immigration debate.