The protection secretary will obtain briefings on all operations on the base, together with the Migrant Operations Middle and the Guantanamo Bay Detention Facility.
Secretary of Protection Pete Hegseth on Tuesday will go to Guantanamo Bay, the U.S. naval base in Cuba the place unlawful immigrants have been briefly held.
Whereas Guantanamo Bay serves as a army base, it additionally facilitates the momentary detention of unlawful immigrants who’re ready to be deported to their house international locations or different locations underneath President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown.
Almost 200 Venezuelan unlawful immigrants within the U.S. have been returned to their house nation after being detained at Guantanamo Bay.
The Trump administration has prioritized deporting people who exhausted all authorized appeals to stay in the USA. In line with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), practically 1.5 million unlawful immigrants had last elimination orders as of Nov. 24, 2024, together with greater than 22,000 Venezuelans.
In 2021, former Protection Secretary Lloyd Austin mentioned the ability served its goal on the time however ought to be shut down for good.
Former President Joe Biden early in his time period dedicated to closing it down following a evaluation of the detention heart, persevering with efforts initiated by President Barack Obama.
Whereas visiting Guantanamo Bay, Hegseth will even meet with U.S. service members on the naval base and aboard the united statesThomas Hudner to thank them for his or her service to the nation and interact with them about their experiences there.
“The Secretary’s journey underscores the Division’s dedication to making sure the safety and operational effectiveness of Guantanamo Bay Naval Station and supplies a possibility to interact with the devoted service members and personnel who play a significant position within the base’s mission,” the Pentagon mentioned.