A notorious prison, known for allegations of ‘torturing and abusing’ inmates, has been selected as a new location for deported migrants under the policies of the Trump administration.
Since Donald Trump assumed the presidency as the 47th President of the United States, he has adopted a strict stance on immigration.
In the initial weeks of his administration, Trump signed a series of executive orders aimed at ‘reclaiming control’ of the U.S. He increased tariffs on trade partners such as Canada, Mexico, and China to press them into curbing illegal immigration and threatened similar actions against Colombia for its resistance to accepting increased deportation flights.
He has also considered revoking student visas for foreign students if they are found protesting against Israel, proposed a new detention facility for deportees in Colorado, and suggested exiling repeat offenders of any nationality to distant lands in a modern twist on the concept of a penal colony.
As part of these initiatives, Trump has contemplated expanding the controversial Guantanamo Bay prison, which was established by President George Bush post-9/11 to detain ‘illegal enemy combatants’.
Trump is now aiming to send migrants to this notorious Cuban facility by endorsing the Laken Riley Act.
The prison currently detains about 15 terror suspects, including those implicated in the September 2001 attacks.
During his first presidential term, Trump reversed an order from the Obama administration to close the prison in 2018, despite human rights activists’ objections.
Under President Obama, over 150 detainees were freed, yet his administration faced criticism for not closing the center entirely.
The Mirror describes Guantanamo Bay as a ‘legal black hole’ where prisoners endure a ‘living hell’ of mistreatment and torture.
The prison’s perimeter is fortified with a minefield, and plans indicate detainees will be housed in small centers or tents monitored by military personnel.
Amnesty International has condemned the prison as ‘a symbol of torture, rendition and indefinite detention without charge or trial’.
Alongside human rights groups, the United Nations has criticized the facility, calling it a ‘stain on the US Government’s commitment to the rule of law.’
Among those released under Obama’s tenure was Shaker Aamer, a British citizen who reported being tortured and kept in solitary confinement for 13 years without being charged.
Obama had pledged in 2016 to close Guantanamo, claiming it ‘undermines’ rather than enhances national security.
Before authorizing the Laken Riley Act, ensuring the expansion of Guantanamo Bay, Trump stated: “We have 30,000 beds in Guantanamo to detain the worst criminal illegal aliens threatening the American people.
“Some of them are so bad we don’t even trust the countries to hold them because we don’t want them coming back.”
“So we’re going to send them out to Guantanamo Bay. This will double our capacity immediately, and tough. That’s a tough – that’s a tough place to get out of.”