American Oversight Sues over Guantanamo Deportation Plan Amid Trump’s Authoritarian Posturing

American Oversight filed suit against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the Department of Defense, and U.S. Southern Command for failing to release records related to the Trump administration’s plan to detain thousands of migrants at Guantánamo Bay — a sharp escalation of its inhumane and legally dubious immigration crackdown.

The lawsuit seeks communications, directives, policy memos, contracts, and cost assessments concerning the use of the Guantánamo detention facility in support of mass deportations. It follows reports that as early as this week, the administration could begin transferring as many as 9,000 noncitizens — up from 500 — to the offshore military prison. The renewed operation marks a dramatic reversal from the administration’s earlier retreat following legal, logistical, and public backlash in February.

“Guantánamo has long symbolized a dark chapter of unchecked government power and diminished civil liberties. The Trump administration’s plan to once again use it as a legal black hole is not only a humanitarian crisis, but a calculated act of political theater meant to invoke strongman imagery,” said Chioma Chukwu, Executive Director of American Oversight. “This isn’t just about secret flights or offshore prisons; it’s about the steady erosion of constitutional protections and the normalization of authoritarian posturing. With a military parade staged to celebrate the president’s birthday — and mass detentions unfolding behind closed doors — the people deserve to know how their government is executing this abuse of power, and at what cost to our freedoms, values, and the foundations of our democracy.”

In January, Trump announced his intent to re-open and expand the use of Guantánamo for immigration enforcement. The first round of transfers in February drew widespread condemnation after detainees reported harsh, inhumane conditions and limited access to lawyers. ICE personnel were replaced with military guards more accustomed to handling detainees captured in military operations abroad. Now, despite bipartisan concern and immense cost — estimated at $100,000 per detainee per day — the administration is ramping the operation back up, all while failing to disclose how long detainees might be held or under what conditions.

The lawsuit follows Freedom of Information Act requests submitted by American Oversight in April seeking records from ICE and military officials. These requests include email and text message communications discussing Guantánamo; internal planning documents such as detention policies, contracts, and cost assessments; and any guidance or legal analyses regarding the transfer or detention of noncitizens at the facility. Despite the clear urgency and public interest in the matter, the government has failed to produce any responsive records.

Trump’s broader campaign of intimidation looms large. In addition to the Guantánamo expansion, the administration is reportedly exploring the use of Alcatraz as another symbolic site for detention — an idea widely criticized as political theater meant to invoke strongman imagery. The lawsuit comes just ahead of a planned military parade in Washington on the president’s birthday, part of a pattern of authoritarian posturing designed to distract from the administration’s disregard for due process and human rights.