# Somali immigrants detained at Guantanamo Bay

> ICE is holding Somali men at the notorious military base, where they say they're shackled and subjected to freezing conditions.
- Title: Somali immigrants detained at Guantanamo Bay · Mother Jones
- Summary: ICE is holding Somali men at the notorious military base, where they say they're shackled and subjected to freezing conditions. The Trump administration is…
- Keywords: guantanamo bay, ice, somali immigrants, donald trump, immigration detention, sakariye abdi mohamed, kamal hassan olow, adam abdullah, minnesota, deportation, migrant operations center, somalia
- Source: Mother Jones — https://motherjones.com/politics/2026/09/the-trump-administration-is-imprisoning-somali-immigrants-in-gitmo
- Author: Amanda Moore
- Published: 2026-09-16T13:35:02+00:00
- Read time: 2 min
- Topics: guantanamo bay, ice, somali immigrants, donald trump, immigration detention, sakariye abdi mohamed, kamal hassan olow, adam abdullah, minnesota, deportation, migrant operations center, somalia
## Tricked onto a deportation flight
Twelve Somali men were told they were being deported to Somalia. Instead, ICE flew them to Guantanamo Bay in Cuba.

> Nobody tell us that we're going to Guantanamo Bay. Just like kidnapping.
## Shackled in freezing conditions
Seven or eight men remain detained at the base. They say they're shackled at all times and subjected to frigid temperatures.

> The worst place ever I've been in my life.
## Trump's campaign against Somalis
Trump said Somalis "contribute nothing" and deployed 2,000 armed agents to Minnesota, home to the largest Somali population in the US.

> I don't want them in our country.
## A symbol of injustice
Guantanamo became notorious for detaining alleged terrorists after 9/11, plagued by reports of torture and mistreatment.
## Expanding the detention center
Trump ordered the Migrant Operations Center expanded to hold up to 30,000 "worst of the worst" immigrants, though far fewer are actually detained.
## Accused of serious crimes
DHS claims the detainees have criminal histories including assault and weapons offenses. But they won't say which men were accused of what.
## No criminal records found
At least some detainees say they have no criminal record. One man had only parking tickets, and several were applying for asylum with work authorization.

> I don't have no criminal record. I don't have no tickets.
## Arrested while working legally
Sakariye Mohamed was driving a commercial truck with valid work authorization when he was pulled over and detained by ICE for nearly a year.

> He believed ICE was looking for criminals.
## Cameras in showers and bathrooms
Detainees report cameras in showers and bathrooms, and extremely cold conditions. DHS denies the allegations and says detainees have privacy.
## Only Somalis at Guantanamo
Guards told detainees that Washington ordered them to keep Somali people at Guantanamo. No other nationalities are currently held there.
## Hunger strike for freedom
After officials broke promises to release them, detainees plan another hunger strike. They say they'll die, return to Somalia, or go back to the States.

> We die, or we go back to our country, or we go back to the States.
## Key takeaway

The Trump administration is using Guantanamo Bay to detain Somali immigrants, marking a dramatic escalation in targeting this community.