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Venezuelan Migrants Deported from Guantanamo Flown Home Amid Trump-Era Crackdown. A plane carrying 177 Venezuelan migrants deported from the U.S. and held at Guantanamo Bay arrived in Venezuela on Thursday, nearly clearing the naval base of detained migrants. The migrants were initially flown to Honduras before being transferred to Venezuela, according to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Hundreds of Venezuelan migrants were sent to Guantanamo as part of President Donald Trump’s strict anti-immigration policies, raising legal concerns over the use of the controversial base. Guantanamo Bay, notorious for detaining terrorism suspects, was used to house migrants despite its reputation as a high-security prison facility. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) alleged that some Venezuelan migrants sent to Guantanamo had links to Tren de Aragua, a criminal gang originating in a Venezuelan prison. Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro condemned the detentions, calling the deported migrants "victims of U.S. sanctions" and welcoming them back as a "productive force" for the country. While U.S. officials claim Guantanamo is for the “worst of the worst,” court documents reveal not all detainees were classified as high threats. Of the 177 deported migrants, 126 had criminal charges or convictions, with 80 allegedly tied to Tren de Aragua. However, 51 had no criminal record, DHS confirmed. Meanwhile, Venezuelan migrants protected under Temporary Protected Status (TPS) filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration after the program was revoked. The DHS decision to end TPS leaves around 600,000 Venezuelans at risk of deportation, with protections for 350,000 set to expire in April and another 250,000 losing safeguards in September.
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