The Nicaraguan Rodolfo Joel López Jarquín was transferred in early April 2025 to the naval base in Guantánamo, Cuba, for his subsequent deportation to Nicaragua, despite having entered the United States legally under the humanitarian Parole program.
El Confidencial reported that López Jarquín arrived in Miami on August 7, 2024, and received a conditional permit for two years, but he is now detained in the so-called “operations center for migrants” in Guantánamo.
In a communication with his family, he stated that he spends 23 hours a day locked up, with barely five minutes of daily communication, under the supervision of immigration agents.
"I flew to Miami and obtained conditional permission for two years. However, the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detained me before my permission expired," the migrant explained in his statement sent to a federal judge in Washington.
It was certified by Marisol Domínguez Ruiz, a lawyer for the National Prison Project of the ACLU, the organization leading the legal challenge against these detentions.
Along with another Nicaraguan, Johon Elias Suazo-Muller, López Jarquín leads a lawsuit seeking judicial intervention to stop the deportations to Guantánamo of migrants who, like him, have not been convicted of any crimes nor pose a public threat.
He claims he was taken to Guantánamo under false pretenses
López Jarquín remained at the ICE detention center in Pine Prairie, Louisiana, from February 10 until early April. On April 4, he was transferred to Alexandria with the promise that he would be deported to Nicaragua, but was taken to Guantánamo the following day.
"It was truly shocking. We didn't know where we were until the plane arrived and we saw the military. People were horrified. We thought we were going home," he recounted.
"I have not been convicted of any crime in the United States or in Nicaragua," he added. López Jarquín was detained by the Louisiana Police following a noise complaint, but he maintains that he was not formally charged.
Detention conditions and flights from Guantánamo
In Guantánamo, he claims that he was not informed of his right to a lawyer. "They only asked us about any illnesses and then assigned us to rooms with six beds," he reported.
Until early April, around 400 migrants, mainly Venezuelans and Nicaraguans, have been sent to the naval base. On April 3, a flight with 144 deportees, 44 of them from Guantánamo, landed in Managua. The dictatorship of Daniel Ortega confirmed the arrival of another flight that same week.
Trump's expenses to maintain a prison in Guantánamo
The Trump administration spent 40 million dollars in just one month to keep around 400 immigrants detained at the naval base in Guantánamo. Democratic Senator Jack Reed was the one who brought this issue to light, stating that the amount was an "extraordinary and unnecessary waste."
Reed, along with four other Democratic senators, visited the base at the end of March. They issued a joint statement denouncing that Guantánamo is a place “likely illegal and illogical for detaining immigrants.” They also harshly criticized the use of military resources for immigration control purposes.
The detention center received criticism for having conditions that did not meet ICE standards, such as air conditioning or basic electricity supply.
In March, the U.S. government announced that it had withdrawn the last 40 migrants who remained in Guantánamo and canceled the plan to accommodate up to 30,000 people in hastily erected tents within the base.
However, the case of López Jarquín shows that immigrants remain detained at the Naval Base.
Trump stated that these spaces would primarily be used for high-risk criminals, including members of the Tren de Aragua, a dangerous organization of Venezuelan origin. However, they later did not rule out sending people with no criminal record.
Escalation of deportations under Trump
During the first 100 days of President Donald Trump's new term, ICE reported the deportation of 65,682 undocumented immigrants. 75% of those arrested had criminal records, including gang members such as MS-13 and Tren de Aragua.
The López Jarquín family demands answers and legal guarantees for this man who entered the United States legally but remains detained under what they describe as inhumane and arbitrary conditions, with no clarity about his future.
Frequently Asked Questions about Humanitarian Parole and Detentions in Guantánamo
Why was Rodolfo Joel López Jarquín transferred to Guantánamo?
Rodolfo Joel López Jarquín was transferred to Guantánamo for his subsequent deportation to Nicaragua, despite having entered the United States legally under the humanitarian Parole program. His case is representative of other migrants facing deportations under the immigration policies of the Donald Trump administration.
What conditions do migrants detained in Guantánamo face?
The migrants detained in Guantánamo face difficult conditions, such as spending 23 hours a day confined, with barely five minutes of daily communication. The conditions do not meet ICE standards, and the detainees report a lack of adequate access to legal counsel and treatment they consider inhumane.
How has the revocation of humanitarian parole affected migrants?
The revocation of humanitarian parole has left thousands of migrants in legal limbo, forcing them to leave the United States within 30 days or face deportation. This has created uncertainty and distress, particularly among those who do not have any other active immigration processes to support them.
What are the criticisms of the detention policy in Guantanamo?
The detention policy in Guantanamo has been criticized for being deemed illegal and illogical for detaining immigrants. Organizations like the ACLU have denounced the conditions of detention and the use of military resources for immigration control purposes, while some Democratic senators have referred to the expenditure as an "extraordinary and unnecessary waste."
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