Guantanamo Migrants Granted Phone Access to Lawyers, According to Legal Document
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) confirmed that migrants detained at the Guantanamo Bay prison camp can now communicate with their lawyers over the phone, as reported in a recent court document. This development is part of a lawsuit launched by advocacy groups against the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The legal document also reveals that DHS is assessing the practicality and need for face-to-face lawyer visits.
The Trump administration has been dispatching to Guantanamo the migrants it categorizes as the most violent, caught on U.S. ground, as part of its efforts to combat illegal immigration. However, it was reported earlier this week that the families of two detainees claimed their relatives held at Guantanamo have no criminal records, challenging the DHS's assertions.
Acting Field Office Director for ICE, Juan Agudelo, stated in the court document that Guantanamo Bay currently held 178 migrant detainees, all of whom are Venezuelan and have received final removal orders. ICE declared on Thursday that 177 of these detainees were being repatriated to Venezuela.
The legal action, initiated earlier this month in a federal court in Washington, D.C., was brought on behalf of three relatives of detainees and four organizations seeking to offer them legal representation. In a declaration, Agudelo mentioned that three detainees involved in the legal action were granted permission to consult their lawyers on February 17, following a request from the American Civil Liberties Union.
According to the same declaration, two of the detainees involved in the legal action are suspected members of the Venezuelan gang, Tren de Aragua.