Haitian Bridge Alliance Urges President Trump to Reconsider Proposal to Detain Migrants at Guantánamo Bay, Calls for Humane Immigration Policies

Haitian Bridge Alliance Urges President Trump to Reconsider Proposal to Detain Migrants at Guantánamo Bay, Calls for Humane Immigration PoliciesJanuary 30, 2025

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San Diego, California. – Haitian Bridge Alliance (HBA) strongly condemned President Donald Trump’s announcement to sign executive order to detain migrants at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba and ordered the construction of a migrant detention facility at the U.S. navy base.

The use of the naval base as a migrant detention center has been widely criticized for its inhumane conditions and lack of due process. Such a policy could violate both U.S. constitutional protections and international refugee law, including the 1951 Refugee Convention and its 1967 Protocol, which prohibit the arbitrary detention of asylum seekers.

“We fought really hard for 2:years against former president Biden because the idea of detaining vulnerable migrants at Guantanamo’s military prison synonymous with indefinite detention and human rights abuses is not only unconscionable but also a clear violation of international law, and we will continue to push President trump as well” said Guerline Jozef, Executive Director of Haitian Bridge Alliance. “Seeking asylum is a legal right under U.S. and international law. Instead of reviving failed and cruel policies, we should be focusing on humane solutions that respect the dignity of all people.

Guantánamo Bay has a troubling history of migrant detention. Between 1991 and 1993, over 34,000 Haitians  fleeing political violence were held at the base in what was effectively an offshore detention center. Many were kept in appalling conditions, subjected to inadequate medical care, and denied access to proper asylum procedures. A 1993 federal court ruling found that the government had unlawfully detained Haitian asylum seekers, leading to the eventual release of those held at the base (Haitian Centers Council v. Sale, 823 F. Supp. 1028 (E.D.N.Y. 1993)).

The proposal to detain migrants at Guantánamo would not only repeat these human rights violations but also cost taxpayers significantly. According to a Government Accountability Office report, the U.S. spent over $540 million annually  maintaining detention operations at Guantánamo Bay—an expense far exceeding the cost of humane alternatives such as case management programs for asylum seekers.

Further, studies have shown that community-based alternatives to detention (ATD) are both effective and cost-efficient. The Department of Homeland Security’s 2019 pilot program, the Family Case Management Program (FCMP), reported 99% compliance rates for court hearings and check-ins while costing only $38 per person per day—compared to $319 per person per day for detention in an ICE facility.

“Guantánamo has long been a stain on America’s human rights record. Using it to detain migrants would be a dangerous escalation of anti-immigrant policies,” said Guerline Jozef, Executive Director at Haitian Bridge Alliance. “Instead of resorting to draconian measures, the U.S. should expand asylum processing, invest in community-based case management, and address the root causes of migration such as failed U.S. foreign policy, political turmoil and climate change.”

HBA urges Congress  to take immediate action to prevent the use of Guantánamo Bay for migrant detention. Instead, there should be greater push to stop funding the operation of the naval base and close it completely. HBA also calls on the international community to hold the U.S. accountable for upholding its commitments to refugee protection.

HELP US DEFEND THE HAITIAN COMMUNITY AGAINST MALICIOUS ATTACKS AND RESPOND TO ONGOING EMERGENCIES

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