From ICE to Guantánamo: The Migration Limbo of Detained Cubans

What began as a migration nightmare for dozens of Cubans turned into an odyssey that took them first to ICE detention centers in the United States, then to the Guantánamo Naval Base, and ultimately to a forced return to Cuba.

On Monday, the United States repatriated 170 Cuban citizens on a charter flight that landed at José Martí International Airport in Havana, thus ending the limbo in which dozens of men had been trapped for weeks, held in military facilities historically linked to terrorism prisoners.

An unexpected destination

According to The New York Times, more than 50 of the repatriated individuals were part of a group of men who had been transferred from ICE detention centers—including the large facility in Natchez, Mississippi—to the U.S. base on the eastern tip of Cuba.

Many of them accepted deportation thinking they would return directly to Havana. But the plane landed in Guantánamo.

There, they ended up confined in a prison that had previously housed suspects of belonging to Al Qaeda, a situation that was difficult for their families to come to terms with.

Families in uncertainty

For weeks, mothers, wives, and sisters reported that the men remained unreachable, with brief and fearful phone calls. In private support groups, families shared rumors, prayed, and tried to piece together the whereabouts of their loved ones, lacking clear official information.

“This is the worst experience of my life,” declared one of the detainees in a phone conversation, describing deplorable conditions.

Conditions included being allowed to bathe only twice a week, lights kept on constantly, and medications withheld even when prescribed.

The deportation circuit

According to The New York Times, the flight that finally repatriated them departed from airports in Louisiana and Florida and took the deportees to Havana. The newspaper specified that the Cubans had been detained for months in the United States, including a period in Guantánamo, before being transferred last week to Mississippi.

Human rights organizations confirmed that this was the first deportation flight to Cuba since December 18, according to data from Human Rights First, which monitors these operations through the ICE Flight Monitor program.

Official silence and legal concerns

However, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) avoided answering questions about the detainees and their transfer.

Lee Gelernt of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), which has challenged the use of Guantánamo as a holding site for ICE detainees, said lawyers representing the men believed all 55 had been returned on Monday’s flight.

A critical moment

The return comes at a particularly critical time for the island, engulfed in blackouts, food and medicine shortages, collapse of transportation, and an increasingly visible social decline.

For its part, Cuba’s Ministry of Interior (MININT) confirmed that there were 153 men and 17 women on the flight. Cuban authorities noted that three of them were made available to investigative bodies for alleged crimes committed before leaving the country.

Troubling precedent

The use of Guantánamo as a migration detention center sets a troubling precedent in U.S. immigration policy. The base, known worldwide for housing the prison where terrorism suspects were detained after 9/11, is now being used as a transit point for deportations.

This practice has generated criticism from human rights organizations that question both the legality and humanity of detaining civilian migrants in military facilities designed for prisoners of war and terrorists.

Complex system exposed

The case illustrates the complexity and contradictions of the U.S. immigration system, where migrants seeking asylum can end up in the same facilities that once housed the nation’s most wanted enemies.

For families who waited in uncertainty for weeks, the return of their loved ones marks the end of a nightmare. But for many other Cuban migrants who continue trying to reach the United States, the Guantánamo story serves as a stark reminder of the risks and complexities of the migration process.

Fundamental questions

The use of Guantánamo for immigration detentions raises fundamental questions about the limits of executive power in immigration matters and the treatment received by those seeking refuge on American soil.

The facility’s transformation from a military prison for enemy combatants to a waystation for civilian migrants seeking asylum represents a significant shift in how the United States handles immigration enforcement.

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This story unfolds in the context of an unprecedented migration crisis from Cuba, where deteriorated economic conditions have driven thousands to attempt the dangerous journey to the United States, often with tragic results or, as in this case, completely unexpected destinations.