Last year, a group of shackled detainees in tracksuits waited outside a transport aircraft. According to the Daily Mail, they traveled to Guantanamo Bay, which is renowned.
Guantanamo Bay is a US naval base in Cuba, best known for its high-security jail. It was established in 2002 to house terrorist defendants and has received criticism for violating human rights. US President Donald Trump intends to use the facility as a holding facility for immigrant offenders, and it still houses prisoners.
The ten people, all people of the Cuban group Tren de Aragua, became the first prisoners under Trump’s latest crackdown on illegal immigration.
The decision is debating, with some saying the jail is being converted into a immigrant detention facility.
The worst of the worst
Trump has announced that up to 30, 000 migrants—those classified as ‘ the worst criminal aliens’ and ‘ hard to deport ‘—will be sent to Guantanamo. The schedule, his presidency argues, is designed to reduce harmful criminals from re-entering the land.
” President Donald Trump has made it abundantly clear that Guantanamo Bay did house the worst of the worst.” That begins today, according to Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.
A small migratory center for those caught at sea is now present at the base. But under Trump’s plan, thousands may be held in tents, with some potentially sent to the high-security jail still holding 15 evil suspects, including 9/11 genius Khalid Sheikh Mohammed.
Long-term confinement
Evacuees will only be partially held, according to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. But, Trump has suggested often.
” Some of them are but poor that we don’t even believe the places to keep them because we don’t want them coming back, so we’re gonna send them out to Guantanamo”, he said in January.
Deeper concerns have been raised by Noem’s refusal to rule out whether women and children may be detained it.
Trump’s administration has denied that he is tying workers to violence, despite claims made by human rights organizations. Leaders think Guantanamo’s clumsy standing may discourage organized crime from entering the US improperly.
Prison with a black history
Since its founding in 2002, under the administration of George W. Bush, Guantanamo Bay has been the subject of national debate. The prison rapidly gained popularity for its harsh treatment of inmates, many of whom were held without charges.
At its peak, nearly 700 prisoners were kept in extreme situations, subjected to ‘ increased interrogation techniques ‘—a word reviewers equate with abuse. Waterboarding, sleep deprivation, and exposure to extreme heat were among the techniques used.
Additionally, the center has been a burden on the budget. As of 2019, it cost$ 440 million annually to operate—roughly$ 36 million per criminal.
Why has Guantanamo not closed?
Despite promises from previous president —including Obama, Biden, and yet Bush—efforts to shut down the jail have repeatedly failed. Some nations are willing to accept detainees on US land, and Congress has halted the exchange of them.
Earlier this year, Biden transferred 11 Yemeni captives to Oman, but 15 prisoners remain, including those labeled as ‘ always prisoners.’
Trump is changing the direction of the prison and using it to house immigrants rather than evil offenders.
The jail has long operated under a system of defense profits, which has been criticized as a “legal black hole,” where prisoners have limited right and are subject to endless confinement.
Trump has made a distinct statement. ” Guantanamo is a difficult place to get out of”, he said.
