Nine Somali men, including three Minnesotans, have been deported from Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, to Somalia. The deportations occurred after a month-long detention at the US military prison. The men, who were part of a group of a dozen Somali men, were held at US detention facilities before being deported. Among those deported were Adam Mohamed Abdullah and Hassan Abtidoon, both from Minnesota.
The deportees were informed of their deportation just 30 minutes before travel and were shackled before being transported to the airplane. During the flight, which included layovers in Puerto Rico, Dakar, and Nairobi, the detainees remained chained. The men reported that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents informed them that they were being deported from Louisiana to Somalia, with a refueling stop in Cuba.
Two of the Minnesotans and another man interviewed by Sahan Journal on September 9 reported having work permits and Social Security numbers, yet they were targeted for deportation. The Trump administration intensified its removal efforts, leading to the deportation of these men. Adam Mohamed Abdullah, 31, expressed gratitude for the media attention surrounding their situation, noting that the Trump administration allocated significant resources for their deportation.
The transition back to Somalia has been challenging for the deportees. Adam said he’s grappling with financial insecurity and anxiety about rebuilding his life. His mother died on March 9, while he was detained in Kentucky, and he was unable to make an international call to talk to family members. Hassan Abtidoon, 31, said his life changed dramatically after he was detained and deported, shattering his dreams of working, marrying, and pursuing further education.
Abdullahi Jamal Abdi, 42, was one of eight Somalis detained at Guantánamo Bay for a month before being deported to Somalia. He arrived in the United States legally as a refugee at the age of 8 and neither speaks Somali nor understands Somali culture. His wife, Reyann Abdi, said it appeared that immigration officials targeted Abdullahi because of a DUI charge he had received as a teenager.
The deportation process for these men had been expedited, according to the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) lawyer. The ACLU has sued to halt the use of Guantánamo Bay for holding immigration detainees; the outcome of that case is still pending. Marc Prokosch, an immigration attorney based in the Twin Cities, has represented Adam and three other Somali men detained at Guantánamo Bay.
Prokosch expressed concern regarding ICE’s decision to remove location information for detainees with final deportation orders from its public database, complicating his ability to communicate with his clients. He also highlighted the financial implications of current immigration enforcement practices, noting that Congress allocated $75 billion for ICE to use as they see fit. The deportation has added stigma to the men, who face skepticism from neighbors and struggle to readjust to life in Somalia.
Key points
- The deportation of the nine Somali men, including three Minnesotans, from Guantánamo Bay to Somalia has raised concerns about the US immigration enforcement practices.
- The men faced challenges readjusting to life in Somalia, including financial insecurity and stigma associated with being detained at Guantánamo Bay.
- The American Civil Liberties Union has sued to halt the use of Guantánamo Bay for holding immigration detainees.
