The first migrant flight carrying suspects linked to a notorious Venezuelan gang landed at Guantanamo Bay on Tuesday evening. The C-17 plane took off from El Paso with 10 people on board, suspected members of the Tren de Aragua gang.
President Donald Trump signed an executive order in January directing the use of Guantanamo Bay as a detention center for migrants without legal status in the US. The facility has been used to hold al Qaeda detainees and will now house migrants who have broken immigration laws.
Guantanamo Bay’s high-security prison facility is expected to be used to detain “the worst of the worst” criminals, according to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. The base has reportedly supported migrant holding operations in the past, hosting refugees and migrants in smaller numbers.
However, critics argue that the facility’s capacity for 30,000 migrants exceeds its actual limits, with director of the Center on National Security at Fordham University School of Law Karen Greenberg stating that “I don’t know that they have the capacity” for such a large number. Conditions at Guantanamo Bay have also been reported to be unsanitary and inhumane.
As the US prepares to process up to 30,000 migrants awaiting deportation, Guantanamo Bay has taken on a new role as a detention center for those deemed “illegal criminals”. The facility’s expansion is part of Trump’s efforts to crack down on immigration.
Source: https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/1st-migrant-flight-heads-guantanamo-bay-carrying-worst/story?id=118456073