Al Mayadeen English

  • Ar
  • Es
  • x
Al Mayadeen English

Slogan

  • News
    • Politics
    • Economy
    • Sports
    • Arts&Culture
    • Health
    • Miscellaneous
    • Technology
    • Environment
  • Articles
    • Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Blog
    • Features
  • Videos
    • NewsFeed
    • Video Features
    • Explainers
    • TV
    • Digital Series
  • Infographs
  • In Pictures
  • • LIVE
News
  • Politics
  • Economy
  • Sports
  • Arts&Culture
  • Health
  • Miscellaneous
  • Technology
  • Environment
Articles
  • Opinion
  • Analysis
  • Blog
  • Features
Videos
  • NewsFeed
  • Video Features
  • Explainers
  • TV
  • Digital Series
Infographs
In Pictures
  • Africa
  • Asia
  • Asia-Pacific
  • Europe
  • Latin America
  • MENA
  • Palestine
  • US & Canada
BREAKING
Israeli media: Interceptor missiles fired in an attempt to shoot down the drone
IOF Spokesperson: Sirens sounded amid suspected "enemy aircraft" infiltrating the Eilat area
Israeli media: "Israel" won the battle but lost the war strategically and politically
Israeli media: Ben Gurion Airport's airspace closed to air traffic following missile launch from Yemen
Israeli media: Echoes of several explosions heard in central occupied territories
United States: A federal judge temporarily blocks President Donald Trump from deploying 200 Oregon National Guard troops to Portland
Syria: Local sources for Al-Mayadeen: An IOF patrol consisting of 4 vehicles entered the village of Suissa in the southern countryside of Quneitra
Trump on Truth Social: When Hamas confirms, the Ceasefire will be IMMEDIATELY effective
Trump on Truth Social: After negotiations, 'Israel' has agreed to the initial withdrawal line, which we have shown to, and shared with, Hamas
An al-Quds Brigades field commander to Al Mayadeen: We tell the enemy soldiers that we are not far from you, and you will see our faces whenever we decide to, because we are waging a harsh and complex battle of attrition

Guantanamo migrant center run by firm with abuse allegations: Report

  • By Al Mayadeen English
  • Source: The Guardian
  • 20 Feb 2025 16:48
  • 2 Shares
4 Min Read

Despite previous audits and a civil rights complaint revealing instances of inappropriate use of force and unsafe conditions, Akima was awarded a $163.4 million contract in August 2024 by the Biden administration to manage the Guantanamo migrant detention center until June 2029.

Listen
  • x
  • AP
    FILE - In this April 17, 2019, photo, reviewed by US military officials, the control tower is seen through the razor wire inside the Camp VI detention facility in Guantanamo Bay Naval Base, Cuba (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File)

A report published by The Guardian on Thursday revealed that the US government's immigration detention center at the Guantanamo Bay naval base is now being operated by Akima, a corporate conglomerate with a history of controversial practices at other migrant facilities across the United States.

Despite previous audits and a civil rights complaint revealing instances of inappropriate use of force and unsafe conditions, Akima was awarded a $163.4 million contract in August 2024 by the Biden administration to manage the Guantanamo migrant detention center until June 2029.

The facility, which has historically detained migrants intercepted at sea, is now housing individuals transferred from US soil under a new executive order signed by President Donald Trump. The order directs the expansion of the migrant operations center at Guantánamo to accommodate up to 30,000 migrants. The expansion has already begun, with new tent cities set up to increase capacity to 2,000 detainees.

Akima, headquartered in Virginia, operates under the umbrella of the Nana Regional Corporation, an Alaskan Native corporation that allows it to receive federal contracts reserved for small and minority-owned businesses. The conglomerate oversees more than 40 subsidiaries with over 2,000 government contracts worldwide, providing services ranging from IT maintenance to armed security.

Concerns have emerged regarding Akima's management practices. A federal audit of a Miami facility operated by Akima reported multiple incidents of alleged "inappropriate use of force," including an incident where guards pepper-sprayed a man in solitary confinement despite no threat to their safety. Similar complaints have been raised about Akima's operations at other immigration detention centers in New York, Texas, Florida, and Arizona.

Related News

Damon prison horrors: 'Israel' unleashes dogs, gas on female detainees

'We scratch until we bleed': Scabies consumes Palestinian detainees

Guantanamo Secrecy

The expansion of the Guantanamo facility has faced significant criticism from human rights advocates. Jesse Franzblau, senior policy analyst with the National Immigrant Justice Center, stated, "The Guantanamo Bay military base is seared in the minds of the world as a dark site of torture and impunity. There is no rational justification for shipping off immigrants to Guantanamo Bay, which should not be used to detain any human beings. Sending people there now without any due process or access to counsel flies in the face of US and international law."

Human rights organizations have raised concerns over the secrecy surrounding the facility, which limits public and media scrutiny. Contracting documents reveal that migrants under Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody are transported around the base using "black-out vans" with "hand restraints and black-out goggles to obscure their vision." Photos from the facility show blacked-out buses in use, intensifying concerns over transparency and accountability.

"I'm very concerned that as we move on to detaining people at Guantanamo, there will be less and less visibility for the American public as to what is going on there," Bianca Tylek, founder and executive director of Worth Rises, told The Guardian.

Read more: Native Americans say tribal members harassed by immigration agents

The Trump administration has not disclosed how many migrants are currently held at Guantanamo or the duration of their detention. Reports suggest that the recent detainees are primarily from Venezuela, with some alleged to have ties to the Venezuelan prison gang Tren de Aragua. However, conflicting reports from family members claim that many of the detained individuals are innocent and not associated with the gang.

Amid mounting scrutiny, a coalition of civil rights organizations has filed a lawsuit, demanding that migrant detainees at Guantánamo be granted access to legal counsel. Despite these legal challenges and public outcry, the expansion of the Guantanamo migrant detention center continues, drawing attention to the broader implications of US immigration enforcement policies.

  • torture
  • Immigration
  • Guantanamo Bay
  • Akima

Most Read

Hamas fighters stand in formation ahead of a ceremony to hand over Israeli captives to the Red Cross in Nuseirat, Gaza Strip, Feb. 22, 2025. (AP)

Hamas reviews Trump’s Gaza ceasefire plan as PIJ rejects

  • Palestine
  • 30 Sep 2025
Iraq at a crossroads: A new war front?

Iraq at a crossroads: A new war front?

  • West Asia
  • 30 Sep 2025
A Hamas fighter in combat fatigues stands before the ceremony for the handover of Israeli captives to the Red Cross in Nuseirat, central Gaza Strip, Saturday, February 22, 2025 (AP)

Hamas responds to Trump plan, backs Gaza withdrawal, exchange

  • Politics
  • 3 Oct 2025
Trump’s 21-point Gaza plan vs Netanyahu’s demand for Hamas defeat

Trump vows 'something special' in ME; Israeli delegation in chaos

  • US & Canada
  • 28 Sep 2025

Coverage

All
War on Gaza

Read Next

All
UK Jewish leaders denounce 'Israel' invite to Tommy Robinson
Palestine

UK Jewish leaders denounce 'Israel' invite to Tommy Robinson

Araghchi says Iran committed to diplomacy despite Western escalation.
West Asia

Araghchi: Iran committed to diplomacy despite Western escalation

Tom Barrack, Trump's unconventional Middle East envoy: FT
West Asia

Tom Barrack, disrupting decades of diplomatic practice: FT

Musk announces Beta launch of Grokipedia, his AI rewrite of Wikipedia
US & Canada

Musk announces Beta launch of Grokipedia, his AI rewrite of Wikipedia

Al Mayadeen English

Al Mayadeen is an Arab Independent Media Satellite Channel.

All Rights Reserved

  • x
  • Privacy Policy
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Authors
Android
iOS