U.S. senators condemned the decision to detain migrants at Guantánamo Bay, highlighting the $40 million spent in the operation's initial month. With fewer than 400 detainees, many of whom are Venezuelans, concerns grow over resource allocation and the diversion of military personnel from critical duties.
Costly Operations: U.S. Migration Detention at Guantánamo Bay Under Scrutiny
Costly Operations: U.S. Migration Detention at Guantánamo Bay Under Scrutiny
A recent Senate visit revealed the exorbitant costs associated with detaining migrants at Guantánamo Bay, prompting bipartisan criticism over resource allocation and operational efficiency.
Five U.S. senators, following their tour of the U.S. Navy base at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, criticized the government's approach to detaining migrants there, calling it a misuse of federal resources. The Pentagon's estimates revealed that the operation had cost approximately $40 million during its first month. The Senate delegation, which included Senator Jack Reed from New Hampshire, visited Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facilities holding around 85 migrants, some detained in a facility previously used for wartime detainees linked to Al Qaeda.
The government has transferred fewer than 400 men, primarily Venezuelans, to the base since earlier this year. Amid rising scrutiny, authorities have returned almost half of these migrants to U.S. facilities without clear explanations for their initial transfers to Guantánamo. As of the latest report, 105 immigration detainees remained at the site. Senator Reed expressed concern about the administration's decision, suggesting it diverted troops from their essential military missions to manage this migrant operation, raising broader questions about the efficiency and morality of using a military facility for immigration enforcement.
