At least eight Somali men are being held at the U.S. naval base at Guantanamo Bay after being transferred from immigration detention in late August, amid growing questions over their deportation cases and legal status.
The men were among as many as 12 Somalis who passed through the Guantanamo detention facility in late August, according to Sahan Journal, which cited interviews with two detainees. Eight remain at the base, the publication reported.
Seven of the men are being held at Camp 6, a military detention facility, while another is in isolation, according to the detainees. Three of those currently held are from Minnesota.
The cases came to wider attention after MPR News reported that Adam Abdullah, a 31-year-old Somali asylum seeker from St. Paul, had been transferred to Guantanamo. Abdullah said immigration officials initially told him he was being deported to Somalia and that Cuba would only be a refueling stop.
Abdullah, who had been living in the United States and had no criminal record, said he was arrested by immigration authorities in December and later moved through detention facilities in Kentucky and Louisiana before being sent to Cuba. MPR News reported that he was allowed only a brief phone call from Guantanamo.
Another detainee, identified by Sahan Journal as 22-year-old Sakariye Abdi Mohamed, said he was detained after being stopped by police in Alabama while driving a truck. He was held in immigration custody for months before being transferred to Guantanamo on Aug. 26, the publication reported.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has defended the transfers, saying the flight carrying the detainees included people it described as among the most serious offenders, with alleged histories involving assault, weapons, theft and drug offenses.
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However, the government has not publicly released a complete list of the Somali detainees at Guantanamo or provided detailed explanations for the transfer of each individual.
The cases have prompted questions from U.S. lawmakers. Democratic Sen. Tina Smith of Minnesota said she was seeking answers from the administration over Abdullah’s detention, questioning what evidence had been presented against him and whether adequate due process had been provided.
The transfers are part of a broader expansion of the use of Guantanamo for immigration detention under President Donald Trump. In January 2025, Trump directed the Pentagon and Department of Homeland Security to expand the facility for the detention of migrants described by his administration as high-priority criminal aliens.
The administration initially said the facility could accommodate as many as 30,000 migrants, although the plan has faced practical and legal challenges.
The recent Somali transfers have also emerged amid broader changes to U.S. immigration policy affecting Somalis. In August, a federal judge cleared the way for the Trump administration to terminate Temporary Protected Status for nearly 1,100 Somalis, potentially exposing them to deportation.
The situation at Guantanamo remains subject to legal challenges, while the U.S. government has yet to publicly explain why the Somali detainees were sent to the military facility rather than processed through the regular immigration detention system.
About the Author
Ahmed Omar is a senior journalist for Somali Report, based in Mogadishu. He has two decades of experience reporting on Somalia for international and local media. He covers politics, security, governance, business, trade, economic developments and regional affairs.
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