Migrants detained at the U.S. prison camp at Guantanamo Bay are now being allowed to communicate with their attorneys by phone, according to a court filing from a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) official. The filing is part of a lawsuit filed by advocacy groups against the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), seeking better access to legal representation for detainees.
In court documents released on Thursday, an ICE official confirmed that detainees at Guantanamo have been granted the ability to speak with their legal counsel. DHS is currently evaluating whether in-person visits with attorneys would be feasible and necessary. The lawsuit, filed earlier this month in a Washington, D.C., federal court, represents three family members of detainees and four organizations advocating for legal access to the detainees.
The Trump administration has been sending migrants to Guantanamo as part of its immigration enforcement efforts. Officials have described these detainees as some of the most violent individuals apprehended in the U.S. However, a report from ABC News earlier this week indicated that some detainees’ families claim their relatives have no criminal history, despite DHS assertions.
According to Juan Agudelo, an Acting Field Office Director for ICE, there were 178 Venezuelan migrants detained at Guantanamo Bay, all of whom had final orders of removal. ICE announced on social media Thursday that 177 of them were being repatriated to Venezuela.
In response to the lawsuit, Agudelo stated that the three detainees referenced in the legal complaint were granted access to speak with their attorneys on February 17, following a request from the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). Additionally, he noted that two of these detainees were suspected members of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua.
The situation at Guantanamo has drawn attention from human rights organizations, raising concerns about the conditions under which these migrants are held and their ability to obtain legal representation. DHS continues to review the legal and logistical aspects of attorney access, while advocacy groups push for greater transparency and communication rights for the detainees.
