US empties Guantanamo of migrants, mulls further use of base
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The US has transferred all remaining migrants from Guantanamo Bay to Louisiana, raising questions about the future role of the controversial detention facility.
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In this August 29, 2021, file photo reviewed by US military officials, a flag flies at half-staff as seen from Camp Justice in Guantanamo Bay Naval Base, Cuba. (AP)
The United States has transferred all remaining migrants from the Guantanamo Bay detention camp to Louisiana, ABC News reported Thursday, citing a US official.
According to the official, 41 migrants awaiting deportation were moved on Tuesday and Wednesday to the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) processing facility in Alexandria, Louisiana. Meanwhile, the Pentagon and the Department of Homeland Security are reportedly considering whether to continue using Guantanamo Bay for detaining migrants.
At present, no additional military flights carrying migrants to the base are scheduled for at least the next two days. US officials also told the broadcaster that some military personnel initially sent to prepare the base for housing migrants might be reassigned to the US-Mexico border.
Representative Sara Jacobs, who recently visited Guantanamo Bay as part of a congressional delegation, revealed to ABC News that setting up the migrant camp cost the US government $16 million, with each tent costing $3.1 million.
Meanwhile, House Appropriations Subcommittee Chair Mark Amodei told CNN on Wednesday that the administration of US President Donald Trump could only sustain mass deportations at the current pace for about 60 more days, as it is “running out of money.”
In late January, Trump signed an executive order instructing the Pentagon and the Department of Homeland Security to establish a 30,000-person facility at Guantanamo Bay to provide “additional detention space for high-priority criminal aliens unlawfully present in the United States.”
Guantanamo Bay, a US-controlled facility on Cuban soil for over a century, is primarily known for its notorious reputation, with many UN experts urging Washington to close the site of "unrelenting human rights violations." However, it also houses a separate facility for migrants, including children.
Read more: Guantanamo migrant center run by firm with abuse allegations: Report
