The Trump administration has dismissed as “fake news” a report it was looking to transfer thousands of undocumented foreign nationals to the U.S. military base in Guantánamo Bay, including citizens from Ukraine and other friendly countries.
The White House responded to a report in The Washington Post that the U.S. was looking to send undocumented foreign nationals to the U.S. military prison facility in Cuba criticized internationally over its conditions.
The Post said that even those from countries friendly to the U.S., such as the United Kingdom, France, and Ukraine, could be sent to the prison to free up capacity at overcrowded domestic facilities.
When contacted for comment, the White House referred Newsweek to a statement on X by spokesperson Karoline Leavitt, which said, “This story is fake News. Not happening.” The Ukrainian embassy in Washington, D.C., also referred Newsweek to Leavitt’s statement on Wednesday.
Newsweek has reached out to the Ukrainian and French foreign ministries, as well as the UK Foreign Office.
Why It Matters
Trump announced in January the use of the prison facility to hold as many as 30,000 migrants. The site was condemned during the administration of George W Bush for the treatment of suspected terrorists and reports of torture, abuse, and for its position outside of normal legal frameworks.
The Washington Post’s report citing unnamed officials has prompted a strong online reaction among those who said it showed what Trump was prepared to do to meet his pledge to ramp up deportations.
What To Know
Citing unnamed U.S. officials, The Washington Post said possibly as early as this week, the Trump administration could start transferring foreigners who are in the U.S. illegally to the U.S. military base in Guantánamo Bay, Cuba.
The foreign nationals include those from friendly European nations, including Ukraine, the U.K., Italy, France, Germany, Ireland, Belgium, the Netherlands, Lithuania, Poland, and Turkey, as well as other parts of the world.
The foreigners’ home governments were not likely to be informed about the impending transfer, the officials said.
The preparations for the plan include medical screening for 9,000 people to see if they are healthy enough to be sent to Guantánamo, according to the Post, with some details also reported by Politico. It is not clear if the facility can handle those numbers.
Trump administration officials said the plan is needed to free up capacity at domestic detention facilities due to the policy of the biggest deportation of undocumented migrants in American history, according to the Post.
In March, Reuters reported the Trump administration planned to revoke the temporary legal status of Ukrainian refugees who fled Russia’s invasion, potentially exposing them to deportation, although the White House denied the claim.
What People Are Saying
Angelo Bonelli, an Italian politician for the Green Europe party on X: “9,000 immigrants will be deported to Guantanamo prison with 800 Europeans including Italians. Trump’s ferocity and fascism has exceeded all limits, children in handcuffs, raids on homes, mothers separated from their children.
White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt on X: “This story is Fake News. Not happening.”
What Happens Next
While the White House has denied the reported plans to send illegal immigrants to Guantanamo, the Trump administration has set a new goal of 3,000 arrests of illegal immigrants daily. That’s according to White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller, who told Fox News in May this number would continue to grow.
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