Migrants are being flown to Guantanamo Bay as US President Donald Trump has begun cracking down on deportations.
Speaking to Fox Business on Tuesday, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt announced that the first flights from the US to Guantanamo Bay were commencing.
“Today, the first flights from the United States to Guantanamo Bay with illegal migrants are underway,”' she said.
The infamous detention camp has been home to suspected terrorists in recent years, however, the Trump administration has decided to use the facility for deportations.
The White House previewed the move by posting photos on social media of Marines arriving at the detainment centre
White House Instagram
Leavitt said: “President Trump is not messing around and he's no longer going to allow America to be a dumping ground for illegal criminals from nations all over this world.”
Last week, the US president announced plans to detain around 30,000 migrants with criminal records at Guantanamo Bay.
Speaking at the White House, he said: “We don't want them coming back, so we're sending them to Guantanamo.”
Trump’s border czar Tom Homan said they would expand the existing facilities, erecting temporary tents for the new arrivals.
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The White House previewed the move by posting photos on social media of Marines arriving at the detainment centre.
The caption accompanying the photo read: “US Marines have arrived at Guantanamo Bay to support the Department of Defense and Homeland Security in expanding the Migrant Operations Center—advancing President Trump's mission to protect Americans and secure our nation.”
At the moment, over 150 marines are at the camp to support the operation.
Although Guantanamo Bay has previously housed migrants due for deportation, it is more well-known for holding high-profile terrorism suspects.
Trump said: “We don't want them coming back, so we're sending them to Guantanamo”
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Kristi Noem, the Department of Homeland Security Secretary, confirmed on Sunday that Trump’s directive would be followed.
Speaking to Meet the Press, she said: “You know, if you look at what we are doing today of targeting the worst of the worst, we've been very clear on that. The priority of this president is to go after criminal aliens that are making our streets more dangerous.”
Pete Hegseth, the Defence Secretary called the camp “the perfect spot” for criminal migrants,
In an interview with Fox News, he said the US wanted to get rid of “illegal criminals”.
“'Move them off to Guantánamo Bay, where they can be safely maintained until they are deported to their final location, their country of origin, where they are headed,” he said.
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