Trump team spent a whopping $21million on deportation flights to Guantanamo Bay. There are currently 32 people there
A newly released military report to Congress reveals that the Trump administration has spent at least $21 million on transporting migrants to the Guantanamo Bay Naval Base in Cuba – which currently holds just 32 detainees.
In January, President Donald Trump set a target of detaining 30,000 migrants at the facility. However, the center has housed fewer than 500 migrants in total since the announcement and never exceeded 200 at any given time.
However, many of the migrants sent to Guantanamo have reportedly been flown back to the U.S.
The operation, named “Operation Southern Guard,” was overseen by the Department of Homeland Security with military support and has involved transporting both personnel and equipment to the navy base.
In response to the mounting criticism and high operational costs, the Trump administration suspended the use of military aircraft for deporting migrants to Guantanamo Bay on March 1.
The high costs associated with the operation drew criticism from human rights organizations and lawmakers. Reports indicate that some detainees were held in facilities previously used for suspected terrorists, and there have been allegations of poor medical services and mental health support.
Massachusetts Democratic Sen. Elizabeth Warren criticized the effort calling it costly and wasteful political maneuver.
“Every American should be outraged by Donald Trump wasting military resources to pay for his political stunts that do not make us safer,” Warren said. “U.S. service members did not sign up for this abuse of power.”
In response to questions from Warren, the Pentagon revealed that between January 20 and April 8, military aircraft took 46 flights that carried migrants from U.S. detention centers to Guantanamo Bay at an estimated cost per flight hour of $26,277. The total cost of the flights at more than 800 hours added up to $21 million.
After March 1, the DHS switched to more cost-effective deportation methods using commercial flights.
According to NBC, the White House is preparing for an increase in capacity at Guantanamo Bay and is ordering an additional weekly flight to the facility.
Additionally, DHS introduced a voluntary self-deportation program offering a $1,000 stipend to undocumented immigrants who choose to leave the U.S, on their own. Facilitated through the CBP Home app, this initiative aims to reduce deportation costs by up to 70 percent compared to traditional methods.
Between January 20 and March 25, the Pentagon operated 31 military and contracted airlift flights to Guantanamo, transporting 715 passengers and 1,016.9 tons of cargo. The contracted flights cost an additional $1,671,500, including over $660,000 to United Airlines and nearly $500,000 to Omni Air International, with none carrying migrants.
