WASHINGTON – A significant development occurred as the United States prepared for its inaugural military flight to send migrants from the mainland to Guantanamo Bay. This move is anticipated to initiate an increase in the number of migrants detained at the naval base in Cuba, which has historically been utilized for holding individuals linked to the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.
President Donald Trump has viewed Guantanamo Bay as a potential detention hub, asserting that the facility has the capability to accommodate up to 30,000 migrants. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who previously served at the base, has described it as an ideal location for this purpose. In recent days, additional U.S. military personnel have been deployed to the site to assist in these preparations.
Amy Fischer, who directs the Refugee and Migrant Rights Program at Amnesty International USA, criticized the decision to use Guantanamo for migrant detention. She expressed that relocating immigrants to this facility is an exceptionally inhumane and expensive action that isolates individuals from legal representation, family, and community support. Fischer emphasized the urgency of shutting down Guantanamo, labeling it a “black hole” for human rights violations.
Additionally, a separate operation saw the U.S. government repatriating Indian nationals, with flights back to India taking place on Monday and continuing into Tuesday. Details of these operations were provided by an anonymous source due to the sensitive nature of the information.
This latest round of deportation flights follows several previous actions that included flights to various countries like Ecuador, Guam, Honduras, and Peru. Furthermore, Colombian officials facilitated the return of two flights’ worth of migrants from the U.S. to Colombia.
Currently, around 300 service members are involved in supporting operations at Guantanamo Bay, with staffing levels expected to rise or fall in accordance with the needs of the Department of Homeland Security, the primary federal agency overseeing these efforts.
Statistical data reveals that there are over 725,000 Indian migrants residing in the U.S. without proper documentation, placing India third on the list of countries with the highest unauthorized immigrant populations, following Mexico and El Salvador, as reported by the Pew Research Center. A notable trend has emerged in recent years, displaying a rise in the number of individuals from India seeking entry via the U.S.-Canada border. In the year ending September 30, U.S. Border Patrol apprehended more than 14,000 Indians at the border, accounting for 60% of all arrests made in that region— a dramatic rise compared to figures from two years ago.
This information about deportation flights was initially reported by CNN.
