On February 20, 2025, the Trump administration executed a swift operation to repatriate Venezuelan migrants from Guantánamo Bay, orchestrating the transfer of 177 individuals in one day.
Trump Administration Rapidly Evacuates Venezuelan Migrants from Guantánamo Bay
Trump Administration Rapidly Evacuates Venezuelan Migrants from Guantánamo Bay
In an unexpected move, the Trump administration has transferred Venezuelan migrants previously detained at Guantánamo Bay back to their home country, raising legal concerns.
The Trump administration's actions on Thursday involved using two charter planes from Global X to facilitate the repatriation of the Venezuelan migrants from the U.S. military base in Cuba. The operation received some immediate attention as 177 migrants were flown to Honduras to be handed over to Venezuelan authorities. Meanwhile, one migrant was returned to a U.S. immigration facility.
Tricia McLaughlin from the Homeland Security Department confirmed these numbers. The operation was notable not just for its rapid execution but also for the recent nature of the detention itself; the administration had only begun this operation earlier in the same month.
The legal standing of the transfers remains ambiguous, particularly regarding the authority of the government to move individuals from enforcement facilities in the U.S. to a military detention site. Amid these concerns, immigrant rights lawyers are actively seeking access to the migrants, and broader legal challenges to the administration's policies are anticipated.
This evacuation raises significant questions on the administration's handling of immigration and its adherence to legal standards, fueling ongoing debates about the treatment of migrants and the future of immigration policy under the current administration.
Hamed Aleaziz, Annie Correal, Carol Rosenberg, and Charlie Savage contributed to the coverage.
Tricia McLaughlin from the Homeland Security Department confirmed these numbers. The operation was notable not just for its rapid execution but also for the recent nature of the detention itself; the administration had only begun this operation earlier in the same month.
The legal standing of the transfers remains ambiguous, particularly regarding the authority of the government to move individuals from enforcement facilities in the U.S. to a military detention site. Amid these concerns, immigrant rights lawyers are actively seeking access to the migrants, and broader legal challenges to the administration's policies are anticipated.
This evacuation raises significant questions on the administration's handling of immigration and its adherence to legal standards, fueling ongoing debates about the treatment of migrants and the future of immigration policy under the current administration.
Hamed Aleaziz, Annie Correal, Carol Rosenberg, and Charlie Savage contributed to the coverage.
