ACLU Sues Trump Over Migrant Detentions at Guantanamo Bay

ACLU Sues Trump Over Migrant Detentions at Guantanamo Bay \ Newslooks \ Washington DC \ Mary Sidiqi \ Evening Edition \ The ACLU and civil rights groups filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration, alleging that migrants have been secretly detained at Guantanamo Bay without access to lawyers or family. The suit argues that this is the first time in U.S. history that non-citizens have been held at the U.S. naval base for immigration violations. The Defense and Homeland Security Departments are among those sued, as Trump plans to expand migrant detentions at Guantanamo.

Lawsuit Over Migrants at Guantanamo Bay: Quick Looks

• Civil rights groups sued the Trump administration, alleging migrants are secretly detained at Guantanamo.
• The lawsuit, backed by the ACLU, claims detainees are denied legal access and contact with family.
• The Department of Homeland Security says detainees can call lawyers, but advocates say they are held incommunicado.
• More than 50 migrants were flown to Guantanamo this month, and Trump wants to expand detention capacity to 30,000 people.
• The lawsuit demands immediate access to detainees and full disclosure of transfers to the naval base.
• Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth called Guantanamo a “perfect place” to house migrants.
• Trump’s immigration crackdown has resulted in 8,000 arrests since his Jan. 20 inauguration.

Deep Look

ACLU & Civil Rights Groups Sue Over Secret Migrant Detentions

The Trump administration is facing a federal lawsuit after reports emerged that migrants are being secretly detained at Guantanamo Bay, a site historically used to hold terrorism suspects.

The lawsuit, filed in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday, claims that non-citizens detained for civil immigration violations have been flown to Guantanamo without access to attorneys, family, or the outside world.

“It’s troubling enough that we are even sending immigrants from the U.S. to Guantanamo, but it’s beyond the pale that we are holding them incommunicado,” said ACLU attorney Lee Gelernt.

The lawsuit, supported by immigrant advocacy groups, is the first legal challenge to the Trump administration’s expanded use of Guantanamo for immigration enforcement.

Guantanamo’s Role in Trump’s Immigration Crackdown

Historically, the Guantanamo Bay Naval Base has been used to hold foreign terrorism suspects, particularly those linked to the September 11 attacks.

Now, President Donald Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth are repurposing the facility to detain migrants awaiting deportation.

• The first military flight deporting migrants to Guantanamo landed on Feb. 4.
• Over 50 migrants were transferred in the initial wave, with more expected.
• Trump has stated Guantanamo could hold as many as 30,000 detainees.
• Approximately 300 U.S. service members are currently stationed at Guantanamo to assist with detention operations.

Hegseth, who was stationed at Guantanamo during his military service, described it as a “perfect place” to house migrants.

What the Lawsuit Alleges

The lawsuit, filed by civil rights groups and families of detainees, claims that:

• Migrants at Guantanamo are being held incommunicado, with no access to legal counsel or family contact.
• This is the first time in U.S. history that non-citizens have been detained at Guantanamo for civil immigration charges.
• The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has failed to disclose detainee locations, violating their constitutional rights to due process and free speech.

The plaintiffs demand:

1. Immediate legal access to all detainees.
2. A court order requiring the government to disclose transfers to Guantanamo within 24 hours.
3. An end to the practice of detaining migrants at Guantanamo without oversight.

Families Seek Information on Detained Migrants

Among the lawsuit’s plaintiffs are families of three Venezuelan migrants who were transferred from detention facilities in Texas to Guantanamo.

“They have effectively disappeared into a black box,” the lawsuit states.

For relatives of detainees, the secrecy surrounding the transfers has been devastating.

The DHS insists that detainees can contact lawyers by telephone, but civil rights groups argue that access is nonexistent or severely restricted.

Legal & Political Implications

The lawsuit comes as Trump intensifies his immigration crackdown, vowing to deport millions of the estimated 11.7 million undocumented immigrants in the U.S.

Since Trump’s return to office on Jan. 20, his administration has arrested more than 8,000 undocumented immigrants, according to White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt.

The legal challenge raises serious concerns about:

• The use of military bases for civilian immigration detentions.
• Potential violations of due process under U.S. law.
• The lack of transparency surrounding detainee transfers.

This isn’t the first time Guantanamo has been used for immigration enforcement. In the 1990s, the U.S. government briefly detained Haitian and Cuban asylum seekers at the base. However, those detainees had access to legal counsel and oversight—a stark contrast to today’s conditions.

Who’s Behind the Lawsuit?

The plaintiffs include:

• Four immigrant rights groups:
  • Las Americas Immigrant Advocacy Center
  • Refugee and Immigrant Center for Education and Legal Services (RAICES)
  • American Gateways
  • Americans for Immigrant Justice
• Families of detained migrants.
• Attorneys from the Center for Constitutional Rights and the International Refugee Assistance Project.

The lawsuit names multiple government agencies and officials, including:

• The Defense Department
• The State Department
• The Department of Homeland Security (DHS)
• Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)
• The respective department secretaries and ICE’s acting director

What Happens Next?

• The Biden-era policies limiting detention at Guantanamo were reversed, allowing Trump to expand operations.
• The lawsuit will proceed in federal court, with plaintiffs seeking immediate action to allow lawyers into Guantanamo.
• Immigration advocates fear the program will expand, leading to more migrants being held indefinitely.
• Congress may step in to investigate the use of military detention for immigration cases.

Final Thoughts

The Trump administration’s use of Guantanamo for immigration detentions is sparking legal and political backlash. While Trump and Hegseth defend the policy, arguing that Guantanamo is an ideal facility for migrant detention, civil rights groups warn that denying detainees legal access violates fundamental rights.

With legal battles looming and Trump’s immigration enforcement ramping up, the outcome of this case could have profound implications for how the U.S. handles undocumented migrants in the coming years.

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