Trump reconsiders using Guantánamo to detain immigrants

Despite cost issues and power struggles, the President of the United States, Donald Trump, has persisted in his intention to use the Guantanamo military base in Cuba as a detention center for undocumented immigrants.

The decision to detain 30,000 immigrants there, made days after arriving at the White House, has faced significant legal, logistical, and financial challenges. At this moment, as agencies grapple with responsibility for the operations there and blame for what went wrong, there is a growing recognition within the government that it was a political decision that simply isn't working, reported the network NBC News.

According to reports, the president's plan has been constrained by the costs associated with transporting immigrants by plane to Guantánamo, especially at a time when his administration is advocating for a reduction in government spending.

The Department of Defense estimates that the cost per flight hour of a military C-130 aircraft is $20,756, which implies an expenditure of between $207,000 and $249,000 for each round trip, or between $23,000 and $27,000 per stop.

While transportation costs can be reduced with the charter planes typically used by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for deportations, the administration has chosen military planes due to aesthetic considerations, according to a defense official.

Nevertheless, charter flights continue to be a significant logistical and financial burden, as each operation requires at least one ICE official for every migrant, in addition to a medical team on board.

ICE estimates that the average cost of one of its charter flights is $8,577 per hour, while special high-risk flights can cost between $6,929 and $26,795 per hour. However, these amounts include security personnel and operational costs that the Department of Defense has not detailed in the case of the C-130.

Another point is the logistics of the location used for the sheltering of migrants awaiting deportation to their countries, as the tents constructed for this purpose lack air conditioning and running water and do not meet ICE detention standards, according to the defense official consulted by NBC News.

At the end of January, Donald Trump issued a memorandum to activate the Guantanamo naval base as a detention center for undocumented immigrants with criminal backgrounds.

Close to a month after the executive order, the U.S. government decided to release all undocumented immigrants held at the Naval Base to eliminate the need for a temporary court order and to respond to legal challenges questioning the conditions of detention and the rights of those held there.

The decision to house these individuals in Guantánamo drew criticism both nationally and internationally. The Cuban government, led by Miguel Díaz-Canel, condemned the decision, describing it as brutal and contrary to international law.

Human rights organizations, such as the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), expressed their concerns, arguing that the transfer of migrants to Guantanamo could violate U.S. immigration laws and subject the detainees to degrading conditions.

The Guantanamo base, known for its use as a prison for terrorism suspects since 2002, has been the subject of international controversy due to allegations of abuse and human rights violations.

Frequently Asked Questions about Trump's Plan to Use Guantanamo as a Migrant Detention Center