The Trump administration allocated over $21 million for military flights transporting immigrants to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, within a three-month period, recent figures from the Pentagon reveal.
Data shared by Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) on Monday disclosed that from January 20 to April 8, the US Transportation Command carried out 46 deportation flights to the Guantanamo Bay Navy using military planes. The expenditures were substantial, averaging $26,277 per hour for a total flight time of 802.5 hours.
“It’s infuriating that military resources are being squandered on political antics that don’t enhance our safety,” Warren commented, releasing the details. “The military personnel didn’t enlist for this misuse of authority.”
Transcom verified the accuracy of Warren’s figures, indicating that General Randall Reed provided them following a request from the Prime Minister to the Senate Armed Services Committee after a hearing in March.
The initial report of the expenses was made public by NBC News.
The current number of migrants held in Guantanamo is a hot topic, with staff listing either 69 or 32 individuals, including 43 who are deemed high risk and 26 considered low risk.
Still, compared to the 30,000 migrants who were expected to be housed at military installations, these numbers are relatively small.
After taking office in January, Trump instructed the Department of Defense and Homeland Security to construct tents for military facilities, expecting to house tens of thousands of migrants before returning them to their home countries.
Yet, Guantanamo has hosted fewer than 500 immigrants since this initiative began, peaking at around 200 at any given time. Many of those sent there were eventually redirected back to the U.S. or moved to other nations, bogged down by logistical and legal issues that quickly arose.
Following the installation of 195 tents at the base, they were found inadequate for use as they did not comply with ICE standards, including the need for air conditioning and electricity, leading to a halt in construction in February.
The Trump administration is also contending with multiple legal challenges, including allegations from those involved in what is officially termed Operation Southern Guard, alongside lawsuits from the American Civil Liberties Coalition concerning access to legal representation for immigrants in military facilities.
Democrats have criticized the Guantanamo endeavors as unnecessary political theatrics, advocating for the appropriate use of military resources to manage immigrants, while preserving the focus of defense forces.
Warren’s data indicates that between January 20 and March 25, Transcom executed 31 military and contract air-freight flights to Guantanamo, transporting 715 passengers and 1,016.9 tons of cargo.
Military-contracted airlines, such as Atlas Air, Delta, Omni Air International, United Airlines, and Sun Country, incurred costs exceeding $1.6 million. Transcom clarified that no immigrants were brought on these contracted flights.
Warren noted that the Pentagon increased flight activity to Guantanamo Bay at the Naval Base in anticipation of a growing U.S. presence and capacity at the facility.
