“to transform Guantanamo from a synonym for a terrorist prison into a modern-day Ellis Island.”
I knew a woman who immigrated from Cuba in I think 94. She said she spent months at Guantanamo before being relocated to the United States. I don’t think this is anything new.
I double checked myself to make sure I was correct. This is an article from a woman who spent time in Guantanamo during that same time period.
“My understanding of the US naval base at Guantánamo Bay (GTMO) comes primarily from my experiences as a Cuban refugee between the years 1994-1995”
https://ncph.org/history-at-work/cuban-refugee-experience-of-guantanamo-bay/