ACLU Files Lawsuit Over Illegal Immigrant Transfers to Guantanamo

‘Immigrants held at Guantánamo have effectively disappeared into a black box and cannot contact or communicate with their family or attorneys,’ plaintiffs said.

The control tower is seen through the razor wire inside the Camp VI detention facility in Guantanamo Bay Naval Base, Cuba, on April 17, 2019. Alex Brandon/AP Photo

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration on Feb. 12, claiming that the illegal immigrants detained at the naval base in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, are being denied several rights.

The ACLU said those rights include detainees’ right to legal counsel and legal counsel of their choice, their Fifth Amendment right to due process, and their First Amendment right to communicate with the outside world. Plaintiffs also argued that by removing access to legal counsel, the government violated the detainees’ right to habeas corpus, which allows them to challenge the legality of the transfer.