In brief
As of January 2025, Guantánamo Bay’s detention facility continues to house just 15 prisoners out of hundreds once held there since its inception in 2002. The continued existence of this military prison has sparked ongoing debate about its future, especially as none of the major U.S. presidents—Bush, Obama, Trump, and Biden—have been able to close it completely or transfer its remaining detainees to the mainland.
The current detainees, aged between 45 to 63, come from various countries, including Afghanistan, Iraq, Yemen, and Somalia, along with a stateless Rohingya and a Palestinian. Most were held previously in CIA's secretive overseas prisons before being transferred to Guantánamo. Notably, five of the detainees are linked to high-stakes terrorism cases, including the orchestrators of the 9/11 attacks and the bombing of the U.S.S. Cole in 2000, which remain unresolved as no trials have commenced.While President Biden has expressed intentions to continue efforts to close Guantánamo, significant legislative barriers remain. Until Congress lifts restrictions on transferring detainees to U.S. soil, the costly operation may persist indefinitely, with its last inmates lingering until their deaths.
