Issue:

More than 100 Groups Call on Biden to Close Guantánamo

Washington, DC — On Wednesday, the 21st anniversary of the opening of the Guantánamo Bay prison, Muslim Advocates joined a chorus of more than 100 human rights, immigrant rights, racial justice, interfaith, veterans and 9/11 victim groups calling on President Joe Biden to close the facility and end indefinite military detention. Being Muslim, an immigrant, black or brown should not land you in a forever prison like Guantánamo Bay. That’s why this coalition is urging President Joe Biden to keep his promise of it during his presidency and to prioritize doing so this year.

“Nearly eight hundred Muslim men and boys were held at Guantánamo after 2002, all but a handful without charge or trial. Thirty-five remain there today, at the astronomical cost of $540 million per year, making Guantánamo the most expensive detention facility in the world. Guantánamo embodies the fact that the United States government has long viewed communities of color – citizens and non-citizens alike – as a security threat, to devastating consequences,” the coalition said in the joint letter to the president.

Three presidents have promised to shut down Guantánamo Bay. It’s time the White House finally makes good on its promise. Shut it down. Shut it down forever. And reckon with the full scale of the harm done to communities of color.

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Muslim Advocates is a national civil rights organization working in the courts, in the halls of power and in communities to halt bigotry in its tracks. We ensure that American Muslims have a seat at the table with expert representation so that all Americans may live free from hate and discrimination.