Categories: All 50 US States

Shock: First migrants deported to Guantánamo Bay

FILE - In this April 17, 2019, photo, reviewed by U.S. military officials, the control tower is seen through the razor wire inside the Camp VI detention facility in Guantanamo Bay Naval Base, Cuba. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File)

The first U.S. military flight deporting migrants to Guantanamo Bay was set to take off Tuesday, marking the beginning of a larger effort to house migrants at the naval base in Cuba. The move is part of President Donald Trump’s broader immigration strategy, which envisions using the facility as a holding center with the capacity to detain up to 30,000 people.

Guantanamo Bay Prepares for Influx of Migrants

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who previously served at Guantanamo Bay during his military career, has described the base as an ideal location for detaining migrants. In preparation, additional U.S. troops have been deployed to the site in recent days to assist with logistical and security measures.

Increased Deportation Flights Underway

The U.S. has also ramped up deportation flights to other destinations. On Monday, a flight carrying Indian migrants back to India was in progress as of midday Tuesday. Previous deportation flights have transported migrants to Ecuador, Guam, Honduras, and Peru. Additionally, Colombian officials coordinated two separate flights to return their nationals.

The expansion of deportation efforts signals a shift in immigration policy, with Guantanamo Bay now playing a central role in Trump’s approach to managing migrant detention and removals.

Herbert Bauernebel

Herbert Bauernebel has been reporting from New York since 1999 and currently works for Bild.de, OE24 TV, and US Live. He also runs the news portal AmerikaReport.de. Bauernebel has covered nearly all major US events of the past quarter-century, including 9/11, Hurricane Katrina, Barack Obama’s election, Donald Trump’s surprise victory, the pandemic, last year’s election showdown, as well as natural disasters such as hurricanes and oil spills. He has also reported firsthand on international events, including the Asian tsunami, the Haiti earthquake, and the Fukushima disaster. He lives in Brooklyn with his family and holds degrees in communication and political science from the University of Vienna. Bauernebel is the author of a book about his experiences on 9/11, And the Air Was Full of Ash: 9/11 – The Day That Changed My Life.