Guantanamo Bay set to detain migrants again

Trump orders migrant detention center

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President Donald Trump has ordered the construction of a migrant detention facility in Guantanamo Bay, which he said would hold as many as 30,000 people. But his plan evokes a dark history. 

Sinking of USS Maine

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The exact cause of the explosion that sank the vessel was never determined, but the incident inflamed the volatile political situation between Spain and the United States, and led to the start of the Spanish-American War.

Success on the battlefield

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On the same day, July 1, the Americans clashed with Spanish forces at the Battle of San Juan Hill. Colonel Theodore Roosevelt and the Rough Riders were famously photographed at the top of the hill they captured. Santiago de Cuba fell on July 17.

Sole jurisdiction

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While Cuba retained ultimate sovereignty, the US exercised sole jurisdiction over Guantanamo Bay. In return, Washington agreed to pay the Cuban government US$2,000 in gold per year until 1934, when the payment was set to match the value of gold in dollars.

Expansion during the 20th century

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The early 20th century saw Guantanamo's naval station expand to include a new main station and cable station, aircraft, submarines, rifle ranges, abundant storage facilities, and seven oil tanks.

Second World War

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In 1939, Guantanamo Bay transitioned from a naval station to a naval base and was the site of intense construction activity throughout the early 1940s. The base proved a vital hub during the Second World War—which Cuba entered on the Allied side two days after the attack on Pearl Harbor.

Security threat

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Security was tightened. Perimeter fences of barbed wire separated the base from Cuban territory. A "no man's land" of mines, sandbags, and cacti acted as further deterrent.

Cuban Missile Crisis

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The Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962 only served to heighten tensions. Families of military personnel were evacuated from the base. Meanwhile, those Cubans opposed to the Castro regime sought sanctuary within its confines.

Extra troop deployment

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At the same time, US Marines were airlifted to Guantanamo as the crisis deepened.

"Gitmo" in the '70s

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During the 1970s, "Gitmo," as many had started to call the base, enjoyed a relatively tranquil period. In fact, being stationed at Guantanamo Bay was considered to be an ideal assignment by some service members.

The "War on Terror"

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In 2002 following the US invasion of Afghanistan, initiated in the wake of the September 11 terrorist attacks, a specially designated portion of the base was used to detain several hundred individuals with ties or suspected ties to Islamic terrorist groups such as al-Qaeda and the Taliban. It was the beginning of the most controversial period in the entire history of Guantanamo Bay Naval Station.

Camp X-Ray

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Of the four, Camp X-Ray was the most notorious. Some 300 detainees were held at this temporary facility. Photographs showing shackled prisoners guarded by Marines were seen around the world.

Violation of Geneva Conventions

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As a result, they were allegedly denied their legal rights under the Geneva Conventions.

Supreme Court steps in

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However, the US Supreme Court subsequently recognized that the detainees had "been imprisoned in territory over which the United States exercises exclusive jurisdiction and control." Therefore, they had the fundamental right to due process of law under the Fifth Amendment.

Camp X-Ray closed

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In April 2002, Camp X-Ray was closed and all detainees transferred to Camp Delta.

Worldwide condemnation

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Despite this move, Guantanamo was still being roundly condemned by international human rights and humanitarian organizations—including Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, and the International Committee of the Red Cross—as well as by the European Union and the Organization of American States for alleged human rights violations.

Moves to close the camp

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In January 2009, President Barack Obama pledged to close the prison by early 2010, but struggled to transfer or try the remaining detainees from the facility.

Still operational

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In January 2018 during his first term as US president, Donald Trump signed an executive order to keep the detention camp open indefinitely. Three years later, the administration of Joe Biden declared its intention to shut down the facility before he left office.

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