Senate Democrats call transfer of migrants to Guantanamo Bay 'unlawful'

Senate Democrats have slammed President Donald Trump's "unlawful" transfer of migrants to the US Naval station in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

In a letter to Trump, the senators, led by Dick Durbin, called on Monday the move "unprecedented, unlawful and harmful to American national security, values and interests."

"There is no basis in US immigration law for transferring noncitizens arrested inside the United States to a location outside of the United States for detention prior to or for the purpose of conducting removal proceedings," they wrote.

They also raised concern that the Trump administration did not consider the "serious legal concerns or have any plan to address them" prior to transferring noncitizens from the US to Guantanamo.

Hegseth to visit Guantanamo Bay

The letter came as the Pentagon said that US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth will travel on Tuesday to Naval Station Guantanamo Bay.

Hegseth will receive briefings on all mission operations at the base, including at the Migrant Operations Center and the Guantanamo Bay Detention Facility and will also meet with US service members at the base and aboard the USS Thomas Hudner.

"Naval Station Guantanamo Bay serves as a forward operating base vital for regional stability and maritime security. It also facilitates the temporary detention of illegal aliens who are pending return to their country of origin or other appropriate destination," the Pentagon added.

Last month, Trump ordered the construction of a detention camp at Guantanamo Bay to hold up to 30,000 of the "worst criminal illegal aliens threatening the American people."

The White House has since begun flying undocumented migrants — labelled as a "high threat" and "criminals" — to the detention centre in Cuba as part of Trump's mass deportation plan.

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Source: TRT