U.S. authorities have relocated immigrants from detention facilities at the Guantanamo Bay naval base, while a federal court in Washington reviews a challenge by civil rights advocates regarding the holding of immigrants at the offshore military station. A spokesperson for the U.S. Southern Command confirmed that no “illegal aliens” are currently held at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba, following the transfer of 40 immigrants to Louisiana earlier this week. Officials have not disclosed the reasons for the transfer or the identities and nationalities of the individuals. While the 40 immigrants have been moved, officials mentioned that the facility may still be utilized in the future for “high-threat” detainees, although no decision has been made yet. President Donald Trump has expressed intentions to send serious criminal migrants to Guantanamo Bay, but civil rights lawyers argue that many detainees sent there lack criminal records and that the administration has overstepped its legal authority regarding immigration laws. Civil rights attorneys have taken legal action against the Trump administration to prevent the transfer of 10 migrants detained in the U.S. to Guantanamo Bay, citing mistreatment and harsh conditions reported by individuals previously held there. Advocacy groups, including the ACLU, claim that the transfer of detained immigrants to Guantanamo Bay is unlawful and violates the Immigration and Nationality Act, as stated in a court filing on Thursday. The Trump administration asserts its broad authority to detain immigrants with final deportation orders at Guantanamo Bay.
