Human Rights Groups Oppose US Plan to Use Guantánamo Bay for Cuban Migrant Detention

Eighty-five US and international human rights organizations submitted a joint letter to US senators and House representatives on Friday, expressing concern over plans to use Guantánamo Bay for migrant detention amid a potential Cuban humanitarian crisis. The letter addresses comments made by a US military commander during a congressional hearing last month.

The commander stated that in the event of mass migration from Cuba, the military would support the Department of Homeland Security by setting up a camp at Guantánamo Bay to handle migrants. The organizations described the prospect of further detention at the base as unacceptable, citing its history of inhumane conditions and due process violations in both terrorism-related and migrant facilities.

policies have exacerbated economic difficulties in Cuba.

The testimony occurred amid broader US immigration enforcement actions under the administration.

The Migrant Operations Center at Guantánamo Bay, operated under the Pentagon and Department of Homeland Security, has detained small numbers of sea-interdicted migrants for decades.

In 2025, the administration installed tents to accommodate migrants, but the structures were dismantled without use. The private contractor managing the center has faced scrutiny for conditions in other immigration facilities it operates. Signatories to the letter include the Center for Constitutional Rights, Amnesty International, Refugees International, and the Council on American-Islamic Relations.

“— Joint letter from 85 organizations, April 10, 2026 (The Guardian)”

The letter calls for halting funding for Guantánamo detention facilities and ending policies driving the Cuban crisis.