US Judge Stops U.S. Migrant Transfer to Guantanamo 

Posted by wbstadmin

United States: On Sunday, a federal judge in New Mexico issued a restraining order before the United States could transport three Venezuelan prison detainees across state lines to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. 

Federal Court Issues Restraining Order 

During a video conference hearing, Judge Kenneth Gonzales from the New Mexico Federal District Court granted the blocking order, according to Baher Azmy, who represents the detained individuals, as reported by Reuters. 

When asked for a statement the court remained silent. No court records validating Gonzales’ order became available during Sunday’s timeframe. 

Azmy from the Center for Constitutional Rights stated in an early Sunday press release that the men filed court documents that sought Guantanamo Bay detention blocking, but the base transfer order had not been executed yet. 

Venezuelan Detainees Fight Transfer 

The men have presented a federal court in New Mexico with their case against prolonged detention even though they escaped Venezuela to find protection within the United States. 

The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency failed to reply when asked about the men’s request to avoid Guantanamo detention while also declining to reveal their plans regarding the Cuban base. 

Trump’s Plan to Expand Guantanamo Migrant Processing 

President Donald Trump announced in late January that his administration intended to develop processing space for 30,000 migrants at the U.S. naval base, which maintains a detention center housing foreign terrorism suspects. 

Last week the Trump administration decided to terminate deportation protections for Venezuela’s hundreds of thousands of migrants in the United States. 

“I fear being taken to Guantanamo because the news is painting it as a black hole … I also see that human rights are constantly violated at Guantanamo, so I fear what could happen to me if I get taken there,” Abrahan Barrios Morales, one of the detained Venezuelan men, said in the written statement put out earlier Sunday by the Center for Constitutional Rights. 

ACLU and Rights Groups Raise Alarm 

Last Friday the American Civil Liberties Union asked for access to military migrants at Guantanamo Bay because the administration has given minimal details about migrants while detention raises concerns about U.S. and international law violations, as reported by Reuters. 

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has released limited information about migrants transferred to Guantanamo recently because the first group involving roughly ten people belonged to the Venezuelan criminal organization Tren de Aragua but did not offer details about criminal proceedings against them.