Military medical personnel from the U.S. Air Force and Army are set to deploy to Guantanamo Bay this weekend as part of an initiative by the Trump administration to expand detention facilities for migrants lacking legal status in the United States. This deployment follows a directive that was shared with service members, detailing an assignment lasting over 180 days at a location that was not specified but confirmed to be the U.S. naval base in Guantanamo.
Internal communications reviewed by NPR indicate that the medical teams, including surgeons and OB-GYN specialists, will be responsible for the care of detainees and civilians at the base. The order was distributed to personnel from various military medical units, including those stationed at the David Grant Medical Center in California and the Fort Belvoir Army installation in Virginia.
The Department of Homeland Security has begun transporting migrants to Guantanamo Bay, with over a dozen flights already completed, bringing more than 100 individuals to the facility. This move comes as part of President Trump’s directive to utilize the naval base for detaining migrants suspected of illegal entry into the country. Legal challenges have already emerged, with immigration lawyers filing lawsuits against the administration, claiming that the remote location of Guantanamo restricts their ability to access their clients. However, DHS asserts that detainees have access to communication tools to contact their legal representatives.
The administration’s plan aims to establish a temporary holding area for up to 30,000 migrants at Guantanamo Bay, with the intention of processing them for deportation to other nations. However, this ambitious proposal faces significant obstacles, including a lack of congressional funding and the need to construct new facilities to accommodate such a large number of individuals.
Criticism of the deployment has come from various quarters, including Rep. John Garamendi of California, who expressed concerns in a letter to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. He emphasized that military medical personnel should primarily focus on the health needs of U.S. service members and their families, arguing that it is inappropriate to divert these resources to assist detained migrants, despite their need for medical care.
As the situation develops, the implications of these actions raise questions about the treatment of migrants and the role of military resources in domestic immigration policy. The administration continues to face scrutiny over its approach to immigration and the legal ramifications of detaining individuals at a military facility.