Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Thursday said the American Civil Liberties Union had an agenda to "make America look bad" after the group's lawsuit to gain access to detained migrants who they say have been flown to Guantanamo Bay and held there without being able to consult lawyers or speak to relatives.
"They want to make our commander in chief, President Trump, look bad," Hegseth told Fox News. "These are top-notch, top-tier facilities run by professionals where they bend over backwards to make sure that medical, dental, healthcare, food, religious accommodations, language accommodations, all exist.
"No, you're not going to have universal freedom at Guantanamo Bay. It's a prison. But they get all the time that they need as a temporary place to send them home. This is about temporarily holding high-profile, high-threat individuals, who then we send home."
The lawsuit's plaintiffs include relatives of three immigrants from Venezuela who were sent to Guantanamo from immigration detention facilities in Texas. The lawsuit accuses government officials of violating their constitutional rights to due process and free speech.
The plaintiffs' attorneys are seeking a court order allowing them to meet with the detainees. They also want an order requiring officials to provide the location of a detainee within 24 hours of their transfer to Guantanamo.
Information from the Associated Press was used in this report.
Solange Reyner ✉
Solange Reyner is a writer and editor for Newsmax. She has more than 15 years in the journalism industry reporting and covering news, sports and politics.
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