Washington: The Pentagon is poised to initiate its first flights transporting migrants to Guantanamo Bay this weekend, marking a pivotal step in President Donald Trump’s strategy to employ the naval base for detaining individuals amid his intensified efforts to curb illegal immigration.
According to Anadolu Agency, the Pentagon plans to dispatch two flights to Guantanamo Bay, as part of a broader initiative outlined by Trump earlier this week. This decision comes in conjunction with another flight destined for Peru, as the military accelerates efforts to deport thousands of undocumented individuals in compliance with the President’s directive.
To date, the military has facilitated eight flights using its aircraft: four to Guatemala, three to Honduras, and one to Ecuador. However, this weekend’s operations would be the first instance of migrants being transferred to the Cuban base, which poses distinct legal and logistical hurdles.
Earlier this week, Trump instructed the Pentagon and the Department of Homeland Security to utilize Guantanamo Bay for housing migrants. In response, defense officials have been formulating strategies to accommodate up to 30,000 individuals, a substantial increase from the peak of 780 detainees housed at the base’s detention camp during the war on terror.
This development imposes an additional costly burden on the military, which is concurrently tasked with executing another order from Trump to bolster troop presence along the southern border.