On Friday, the ACLU insisted that lawyers should be allowed to visit immigrants who have been moved to Guantanamo Bay. They argue that the government cannot use the prison as a “legal black hole.”

Since January, the Trump administration has relocated approximately two dozen immigrant detainees to the U.S. Naval base in Cuba, deciding to convert the facility—previously used for holding accused Al Qaeda operatives—into an immigration detention center.

President Donald Trump directed his team to prepare the site for as many as 30,000 immigrant detainees.

“If they were on U.S. soil, they would have the right to an attorney,” stated Lee Gelernt, an ACLU lawyer known for fighting prominent cases against the previous Trump administration, including those related to family separation. “The government can’t just transport them to Guantanamo and erase their rights.”

The ACLU’s letter was sent to the secretaries of Defense, Homeland Security, and State, requesting that lawyers be allowed to have “confidential, unmonitored phone calls” with each detainee. They are also asking for permission for face-to-face meetings.

The Department of Defense, the Department of Homeland Security, and the State Department have not yet replied to YSL News’s request for a statement.

“President Donald Trump has made it clear: Guantanamo Bay is intended for the worst of the worst,” stated DHS Secretary Kristi Noem in a press release announcing the initial transfer to the prison.

Immigration lawyers and advocates have frequently raised concerns about detainees’ limited access to legal representation. Many Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facilities are located in remote rural areas, making it challenging for attorneys to reach the detainees.

“Even within the U.S., ICE has been creating obstacles for advocates trying to connect with detainees,” said Gelernt. “But relocating them to the infamous Guantanamo prison is an even more extreme step.”

contributed by Lauren Villagran