Migrants flown to Guantanamo denied lawyer access as tent camps expand
Roughly 100 immigrant detainees, mostly Venezuelan, have been flown to Guantanamo Bay since February 2025, with at least three having no criminal history beyond unauthorized entry.
Feb 4, 2025Country of origin: Venezuela

The Trump administration has flown approximately 100 immigrant detainees to Guantanamo Bay Naval Base since February 4, 2025, claiming they are dangerous criminals including gang members. ProPublica and The Texas Tribune identified nearly a dozen Venezuelan immigrants transferred there, and records show at least three had no criminal history except unauthorized entry, or minor charges incurred while detained. The government has refused to release detainees' names or crime details and denied families and attorneys access to the detainees, prompting an ACLU lawsuit over constitutional rights to legal representation. The Department of Homeland Security and Defense Department are now rushing to build multiple tent facilities at Guantanamo to house thousands of migrants, with internal confusion over which agency is in charge and what will happen once people arrive.
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Sources
- President Trump sends first US migrant detainees to Guantanamo Bay
BBC·Feb 5, 2025·archived copy
- ‘Nobody really knows what’s going on’: US officials scramble to expand Guantanamo Bay for migrants
CNN·Feb 13, 2025
- New York Times
- Deported migrants are already landing at Guantanamo Bay as part of Trump's plan
NPR·Feb 6, 2025
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