Delegation of Responsibilities Concerning Undocumented Aliens Interdicted or Intercepted in the Caribbean Region

2002-11-19Executive Order 13276
Signed by: George W. Bush
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Headline: Delegates Management of Intercepted Caribbean Migrants to Federal Agencies

What it does: Agencies must provide custody, care, screening, resettlement, and facility support for undocumented Caribbean migrants, using Guantanamo Bay facilities as appropriate.

Real World Impact:
  • Allows detention of interdicted migrants at Guantanamo Bay facilities.
  • Requires government screening and care before return or resettlement.
  • Defense may assume primary responsibility during mass migration without reimbursement.
Topics: immigration enforcement, migration management, national security, detention facilities, international resettlement

Summary

This order assigns federal agencies specific roles for undocumented migrants intercepted in the Caribbean. The Attorney General may detain such migrants and run screening and care facilities, which may include Guantanamo Bay.

The Secretary of State must care for those identified as needing protection and seek resettlement or diplomatic solutions. The Secretary of Defense must provide access to excess Guantanamo facilities, security, and may assume primary responsibility during a mass migration to protect national security. The order clarifies legal limits and does not create new individual rights.

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