ICE transfers Somali immigrant with no criminal record to Guantánamo

Adam Abdullah, a 31-year-old Somali immigrant with legal residency and no criminal record, has been transferred by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to the Guantánamo Bay Naval Base in Cuba.

Abdullah, who arrived in the United States as an asylum seeker in 2023, held a work permit and a Social Security number. He was detained in December 2025 during the ‘Metro Surge’ operation in St. Paul, Minnesota. After being held in detention centers across Minnesota, Kentucky, and Louisiana, he was told he was being deported to Somalia via Miami. However, during transit, he was diverted to Guantánamo under the pretense of a refueling stop in Cuba.

Currently held in Camp Six, Abdullah reports limited phone access and restrictions on exercise. His attorney, Marc Prokosch, has raised concerns regarding the confidentiality of communications and the difficulty of legal representation at the military facility. Civil rights organizations, including the ACLU, are questioning the legality of transferring individuals under migratory custody to a military installation historically used for terrorism suspects.