The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration regarding the lack of access to legal services for migrants transferred to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, from the United States. The lawsuit, filed in the US District Court for the District of Columbia, seeks immediate in-person, video, and telephone access to migrant detainees.
Last week, the Trump administration initiated the transportation of migrants to the naval base on US military aircraft, a move that has raised concerns among immigrant advocates. The ACLU, along with family members of the detainees and legal organizations, is pushing for access to offer representation to the migrants.
ACLU attorney Lee Gelernt, who is the lead counsel in the case, expressed alarm over the unprecedented situation, stating, 'For the time ever, immigrants are being shipped to Guantanamo from the United States and denied access to lawyers. This unprecedented move is shocking and should worry everyone who thinks of the United States as a country guided by the rule of law.'
The lawsuit argues that the detainees have a First Amendment right to counsel, and legal organizations have their own First Amendment right to meet with detainees who may seek their representation. A federal court recently issued a temporary block on sending three Venezuelan immigrants to Guantanamo, with attorneys arguing that the Venezuelans matched the profile of those being transferred to the facility.
In addition to the Guantanamo case, the Trump administration is facing other legal challenges. Two transgender girls from New Hampshire are challenging the administration's executive order banning transgender girls and women from participating in sports. Meanwhile, Cathy Harris, former chairperson of the Merit Systems Protection Board, is suing to be reinstated to her position after being terminated abruptly.
