The first U.S. military flight deporting migrants from the United States to Guantánamo Bay landed in Cuba on Tuesday evening (article available here).
It was the first step in an expected surge in the number of migrants sent to the U.S. naval base, which for decades was primarily used to detain foreigners associated with the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.
The hasty arrangements mark the latest infusion of government resources into the government’s efforts to quickly deport “millions and millions” of undocumented immigrants.
Since taking office two weeks ago, Trump administration officials have urged U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers to increase their daily arrests from a few hundred to 1,200 to 1,500 people. That rapid increase has quickly filled ICE’s detention centers. Trump then suggested using Guantánamo.