In a major move, ten migrants described as “high-threat” were brought to Guantanamo Bay, a U.S. military base in Cuba, according to the Pentagon. This news was announced on Wednesday, and the White House later revealed these individuals are connected to a dangerous gang.
Who Are These Migrants?
The White House identified the ten migrants as members of a violent gang called Tren de Aragua, a transnational group involved in serious crimes. These people are being held at the Guantanamo detention center, a place most famous for holding suspects linked to terrorism but also used in the past to detain migrants.
Why Guantanamo?
The Pentagon explained that the ten migrants are being kept in vacant detention facilities at Guantanamo for safety and security until they can be moved to their home countries or another place. The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is in charge of their detention.
Trump’s Plan for Migrants
Last week, President Donald Trump ordered the preparation of a 30,000-person migrant facility at Guantanamo. This is part of his larger plan to fight illegal migration. This plan also includes immigration raids, arrests, and deportations using military aircraft. Trump has made this issue a priority, even threatening Colombia with sanctions if they do not accept deported migrants.
Guantanamo’s History
The Guantanamo Bay prison has been around since after the September 11, 2001 attacks and has been used to detain people involved in wars and other operations. The conditions at the prison have sparked international outrage, with human rights groups criticizing the way detainees are treated. Some UN experts have called it a place of “unparalleled notoriety.”
This latest move to bring high-threat migrants to Guantanamo is part of a much larger debate over how the U.S. handles immigration and detention.
