More and more reports continue to come out about Somali Americans detained here in Minnesota by DHS and brought to Guantanamo bay. It is crucial for us to frunderstand that these attacks on immigrants here in the US go hand-in-hand with attacks on Cuban sovereignty.

Within ten days of his second term, Trump issued a Presidential Order to “Expand Migrant Operations Center at Naval Station Guantanamo Bay to Full Capacity”. The US has been occupying the 45 sq mile area of land and water known as Guantanamo Bay since 1898 as a military base and detention facility that human rights organizations and Cubans alike have consistently called for the closure of. The US took Guantanamo as Cuba was waging an anti-colonial struggle against Spain. 128 years later, The US pays $4,085 annually for this permanent lease and Cuba still doesn’t cash these checks so as not to legitimize this completely unfair “deal”. 

For Cubans, the easternmost province of the island, Guantanamo, is rich with history and amazing nature. During the war on terror, Guantanamo prison became known for torture and human rights violations. Now, it has become a tool in a war on immigrants. 

Trump and Rubio are saying that the DHS is sending the “worst of the worst criminal illegal aliens” to Guantanamo but that is entirely false, fear-mongering rhetoric. Being an asylum seeker or immigrant is not a crime, being Somali is not a crime. The fear-mongering used to justify racism against our immigrant neighbors is the same fear mongering used to threaten regime change in Cuba and justify collective punishment via genocidal blockade. 

WAMM stands with Cuba and with our immigrant neighbors.  Free them all and shut down Guantanamo bay!

Sent to Representatives Omar & McCullom and Senators Klobuchar & Smith on September 9th