The United States has begun deportation flights to the Guantanamo Naval Base in Cuba. This measure has been confirmed by the press secretary of the Trump Administration, who announced that the first flight has already departed.
According to reports, each flight is carrying a relatively small number of deportees, around a dozen, because the base is not yet ready to house the 30,000 migrants mentioned in President Trump's order. The base's capacity is currently for 120 detainees, although it is planned to expand that in the next 30 days.
Flight Details
The two flights have already arrived at Guantanamo Naval Base, marking the beginning of this controversial operation. The nationalities of the deportees on these flights have not yet been clarified, although it was initially rumored that they could include citizens of Cuba and Venezuela, countries that traditionally do not accept deportees.
However, it has been confirmed that Venezuela has reached an agreement with the Trump administration and will begin accepting its deported nationals. On the other hand, Cuba remains on the list of countries that do not cooperate in receiving their citizens with deportation orders, which creates uncertainty about how the cases of Cubans will be handled under this new policy.
Implications of Guantanamo Detention
The Trump-appointed border czar explained that migrants sent to Guantanamo will remain at the base until their home countries agree to their repatriation. This approach seeks to avoid migrants remaining in detention centers in the United States, instead transferring them to Guantanamo while their cases are resolved.
The number of deportees at Guantanamo is expected to rise sharply, reaching 30,000 at its maximum capacity. This has sparked a debate about the legality and ethics of holding migrants at a place with a controversial history like Guantanamo.
Decisions on immigration detention have been the subject of legal disputes, as courts have ruled that immigrants cannot be held indefinitely. This has led to some immigrants, including Cubans with deportation orders, being released rather than detained.
Over the weekend, approximately 500 U.S. Marines arrived at Guantanamo to increase security and begin building the camp that will house arriving migrants. This military deployment reinforces the Trump administration's determination to implement this new deportation strategy.
