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Editor's note: This story has been updated to include the White House's response.
The Trump administration is preparing to transfer thousands of undocumented foreign nationals, including Ukrainian citizens, to the U.S. military detention facility at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba, the Washington Post reported on June 10, citing undisclosed U.S. official sources.
The infamous prison facility was established by the Bush administration in 2002 to hold suspected terrorists amid the War on Terror. Its operations attracted broad criticism for reports of torture, abuse, and for the facility's position outside of normal legal frameworks.
The detainees reportedly include individuals from countries such as the United Kingdom, France, Germany, and Ukraine. The move is part of a broader plan to free up capacity at overcrowded domestic facilities.
U.S. officials told the Washington Post that there were no plans to notify the governments of these citizens before their transfer to the facility.
The White House responded to the Washington Post's reporting, with Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt calling it "Fake News" on X.
Medical screenings for 9,000 individuals are reportedly underway to assess whether they are physically fit for transfer. Internal documents reviewed by the Washington Post suggest the facility is currently underutilized and could accommodate more detainees.
The Homeland Security Department and the White House declined to comment for the Washington Post on the reporting, which is based on information from multiple anonymous officials and internal documents. A defense official maintained that current operations at the base remain "unchanged" and refused to speculate on "future missions."
Some home countries of the targeted detainees have previously expressed willingness to repatriate their nationals, but have been deemed too slow by U.S. immigration authorities.
The White House has not confirmed the number of Ukrainians affected, and Ukraine's Foreign Ministry has yet to comment.
The plan to revive Guantanamo as a holding site for mass immigration enforcement is part of President Donald Trump's broader pledge to ramp up deportations and arrests, with a goal of at least 3,000 arrests daily, according to White House officials.
Previously, the media reported that the Trump administration planned to revoke the temporary legal status of 240,000 Ukrainian refugees who fled Russia's invasion.
According to a March 6 article by Reuters, the administration aims to cancel refugees' immigration status granted under the Biden-era Uniting for Ukraine program, potentially exposing them to deportation. Although the White House denied the claim, internal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) documents suggest preparations for fast-tracked removals are underway.
Anna Fratsyvir
