Trump Administration Memo Allowed Non-Criminal Migrants to Be Sent to Guantanamo Bay

Migrant Transfers to Guantanamo Bay

• 💡 A government memo revealed that the Trump administration gave officials broad discretion to send migrants to Guantanamo Bay, including those without serious criminal records.
• 🎯 The criteria for transfer were sweeping and included migrants suspected of using a smuggler to enter the U.S. illegally.
• 📌 This broad definition can encompass many migrants crossing the U.S.-Mexico border due to cartel control over passage.
• 📊 Currently, 42 migrants are held at Guantanamo Bay, with 32 considered low-risk due to a lack of serious criminal history.

Broad Interpretation of "Smuggler Use"

• 🧠 The memo suggests that if officials cannot determine a migrant's entry method, they can assume the migrant paid a smuggler if they are from a country where smuggling is common.
• ⚠️ This implies that no criminality assessment is strictly required to send migrants to Guantanamo Bay under these criteria.

Contempt of Court Over Deportations

• ⚖️ A U.S. District Judge found probable cause that the Trump administration engaged in contempt of court regarding the deportation of Venezuelan alleged gang members to El Salvador.
• 🚀 The administration proceeded with deportation flights despite a court order to review due process, and failed to provide answers to the judge's questions.
• ⏳ The judge is initiating a process that could lead to sworn testimony, depositions, or the appointment of a prosecutor if the contempt is not purged.
• 🗣️ The White House appears to be actively engaging in the political conversation surrounding these deportations, holding press conferences and sharing court records.