ESCALONA V. NOEM – SEEKING TO STOP TRANSFERS OF IMMIGRATION DETAINEES TO GUANTANAMO

In February 2025, the Trump administration began moving immigration detainees to the U.S. Naval Base at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba. After first filing a lawsuit seeking to assure that detainees at Guantanamo could make and receive calls with legal counsel (see https://live-awp-dc.pantheonsite.io/en/cases/las-americas-immigrant-advocacy-center-v-kristi-noem-access-counsel-immigration-detainees), on March 1 we, together with the National ACLU, the Center for Constitutional Rights, and the International Refugee Assistance Project, filed this lawsuit seeking to prevent the transfer of additional immigration detainees to Guantanamo, for which, we allege, the government has no legal authority. We also sought emergency stays for ten detainees who are at risk of being unlawfully transferred to Guantanamo.

The government agreed not to transfer any of our clients before March 17, and the court scheduled a hearing to consider our motion on March 14.