Trump’s Plan to Hold Migrants in Guantanamo Faces Human Rights Concerns
by pedro graterol
A single flight returning 177 Venezuelan migrants from Guantanamo Bay—managed by an Alaska Native-owned contractor—spotlights the Trump administration’s controversial practice of detaining deportees at a site notorious for wartime abuses.
A recent flight carrying 177 Venezuelan migrants out of Guantanamo Bay to Venezuela has highlighted the Trump administration’s contentious practice of sending deported individuals to the naval base in Cuba. Officials initially transferred them to Honduras before completing their trip home, leaving the facility nearly empty despite previous plans to expand capacity for up to 30,000 migrants. The Department of Homeland Security has cited alleged ties to Venezuela’s Tren de Aragua gang among those sent to Guantanamo, though court filings and statements acknowledge many migrants have no criminal record.
Concerns persist over the legality and ethics of holding migrants at a site historically associated with the “war on terror.” Senior Trump officials originally framed Guantanamo Bay as a place for the “worst of the worst,” but new information suggests that designation may not always apply. While 126 of the Venezuelans held there had criminal charges or convictions, 80 purportedly linked to Tren de Aragua, 51 were found to have no criminal record. Rights groups have raised alarm about lack of due process, possible mistreatment, and diminished oversight for detainees in the remote facility.
According to The Guardian, at the center of Guantanamo’s migrant operations is Akima, a Virginia-based company owned by the Nana Regional Corporation, an Alaska Native corporation with thousands of federal contracts. Akima Infrastructure Protection, one of Akima’s subsidiaries, was awarded a $163.4 million deal in August 2024 to manage the Guantanamo migrant detention complex through 2029. The firm has faced scrutiny for alleged abuses and substandard conditions at other US migrant facilities it operates. A federal audit of an Akima-run detention site in Miami documented improper use of force, including an incident where guards pepper-sprayed a man in solitary confinement who posed no threat. Advocates fear conditions could be even more opaque at Guantanamo, where access is restricted and basic details, such as how officials decide who is sent there, remain murky. Although the White House recently abandoned plans to use tent housing at the base, citing lack of amenities like air conditioning and electricity, migrants are still being placed in the primary detention area. Approximately, around 20 migrants remain on the location. The Trump administration has yet to clarify how many will ultimately be sent to Guantanamo or how long they could be held. Human rights organizations argue the facility’s secrecy and track record of abuses underscore grave dangers in placing anyone, especially those without criminal records, within its walls.
