Forty-one detainees remain at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, as President Donald Trump begins his first week in office.
President Obama released about 200 prisoners during his tenure, but failed on his promise to close the facility. Trump tweeted earlier this month that no more detainees should be released from Guantanamo.
There should be no further releases from Gitmo. These are extremely dangerous people and should not be allowed back onto the battlefield.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 3, 2017
Attorney Carlos Warner of the federal Public Defender’s office in Akron represents four of the remaining inmates, including two high-value detainees.
He says there’s been no word yet on whether President Trump will continue parole hearings that led to the release of previous clients.
“We don’t know if these periodic review boards will continue, we don’t if the administration is going to work to get these men a trial, and for the past eight years that’s all we’ve asked for, either release them or give them a trial.”
Warner says it’s unclear whether the Trump administration will resume relocating prisoners to Guantanamo Bay.
Five of the remaining detainees at Guantanamo have been cleared for release but did not receive the paper-work prior to Trump’s inauguration.
The current cost of housing detainees at Guantanamo Bay is more than $10 million per year, per prisoner.
