Biden administration considers holding Haitian migrants fleeing gang-ravaged nation in Guantanamo Bay: report
The Biden administration is weighing a plan to use Guantanamo Bay to process Haitian migrants in the case of a mass exodus from the gang-ravaged nation, according to a report.
A wave of violence has engulfed the Caribbean island in recent weeks, leading to concerns over a potential influx of illegal immigration from Haiti as the US already grapples with record-levels of migrant encounters at the southern border under President Biden.
The plan to potentially use Guantanamo Bay as a processing site calls for expanding an existing migrant center on the naval base, which is separate from the military prison where dozens of notorious terrorist suspects are being detained, a US official told CNN.
The Migrant Operations Center in Guantanamo, which is about 200 miles west of Haiti, has been used to house migrants picked up by the US Coast Guard in the Caribbean for more than 30 years.
Guantanamo Bay was previously prepped for a potential wave of Haitian migrants in 2010, after an earthquake ravaged the country, according to the outlet.
In 2022, the Biden administration also considered using the migrant center at Guantanamo Bay to temporarily hold Haitians fleeing a previous surge in gang-related violence on the island.
The White House did not respond to The Post’s request for comment.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis revealed plans Wednesday to dispatch over 250 soldiers and dozens of boats and aircraft to the Keys and the southern waters of the state in anticipation of a mass migration from Haiti.
“We cannot have illegal aliens coming to Florida,” the governor said in a statement.
Gangs are estimated to control 80% of Haiti’s capital city Port-au-Prince, according to estimates from the United Nations.
The nation has declared a state of emergency over the violence.
Haitian gang leader Jimmy “Barbecue” Chérizier has vowed to continue fighting until Prime Minister Ariel Henry resigns.
On Tuesday, in response to international pressure, Henry announced that he would resign after a traditional presidential council is convened.
