Wed Feb 05 02:06:11 UTC 2025: ## Guantanamo Bay Reopens as Migrant Detention Center: First Deportation Flight Arrives
**Washington, D.C. –** The first flight deporting migrants from the United States to Guantanamo Bay landed in Cuba on Tuesday evening, marking a controversial shift in the use of the U.S. naval base. This action, according to a U.S. official, is the initial step in a planned surge of migrant transfers to the facility, historically known for detaining individuals linked to the September 11th attacks.
President Trump has advocated for Guantanamo Bay as a migrant holding center, citing its capacity for up to 30,000 individuals. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has publicly endorsed the plan. Hundreds of additional U.S. troops have been deployed to the base to support operations.
The move has drawn sharp criticism from human rights organizations. Amy Fischer of Amnesty International USA condemned the decision as “profoundly cruel and costly,” expressing concern over the denial of legal counsel and family support for detainees.
In addition to the Guantanamo transfers, the U.S. also deported a group of Indian immigrants back to India on Monday, a separate U.S. official confirmed. Previous deportation flights have targeted migrants from Ecuador, Guam, Honduras, and Peru, with Colombia also repatriating its citizens via collaborative flights.
Approximately 300 service members are currently supporting operations at Guantanamo Bay, with numbers fluctuating based on Department of Homeland Security requirements. The deployment includes at least 230 U.S. Marines.
The surge in deportations comes amid a significant increase in undocumented Indian immigrants in the U.S. According to the Pew Research Center, over 725,000 Indians are living in the U.S. without authorization, the third-highest number after Mexico and El Salvador. The number of Indian migrants apprehended at the U.S.-Canada border has also risen dramatically, exceeding 14,000 in the past year.
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