ACLU Launches Legal Action to Halt Illegal Immigrant Transfers to Guantanamo Bay
A spokesperson for Homeland Security stated that the lawsuit lacks merit and will be contested in court.
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has filed a lawsuit aimed at stopping the Trump administration from transferring 10 undocumented immigrants from the United States to the military facility at Guantanamo Bay.
According to the civil rights organization, such transfers to the Cuban base would breach U.S. immigration laws concerning the relocation of detainees beyond U.S. borders. They further alleged that the Trump administration is attempting to incite fear without justification.
“For an administration that has been promoting supposed efficiency regarding taxpayer funds, President Trump appears ready to squander money on unnecessary and illegal treatment of immigrants,” he added.
The ACLU’s lawsuit alleges that undocumented immigrants at Guantanamo are confined to windowless rooms for at least 23 hours daily, subjected to strip searches, and denied family contact.
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Allegations against guards at the base include “verbal and physical abuse,” such as strapping detainees to chairs, denying them water, threatening to shoot detainees, and causing serious injuries like hand fractures. “These inhumane conditions and extreme isolation have led to multiple suicide attempts,” the complaint asserts.
On Saturday, Department of Homeland Security (DHS) spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin described the ACLU’s legal challenge as unfounded and indicated that the agency would collaborate with the Department of Justice to oppose the lawsuit.
The Epoch Times reached out to the agency for further comment but did not receive a response by the time of publication.
Mexican drug cartels and the Salvadoran gang MS-13 have also been classified as terror organizations by the State Department.
President Donald Trump has pledged to deport large numbers of undocumented immigrants who remain in the country and enhance border security measures. As part of efforts to ramp up deportations, the administration began, in early February, transferring undocumented immigrants to a detention facility at the U.S. naval base in Guantanamo, which became widely known for holding foreign terrorism suspects during President George W. Bush’s second term.
In his first days in office in January, Trump signed a series of immigration and border control orders, including an end to “catch and release,” the shutdown of the CBP One app, a declaration of a national emergency at the U.S.-Mexico border, and the revocation of birthright citizenship, a decision that has been blocked by multiple judges.
“Thanks to the Trump Administration Policies, the Border is CLOSED to all Illegal Immigrants,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “Anyone who attempts to illegally enter the U.S.A. will face severe criminal penalties and immediate deportation.”
Reuters contributed to this report.
