The Assignment Some Doctors Refused
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By
February 9, 2026
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14 min
Rebekah Stewart, a nurse, faced a moral dilemma when selected for deployment to Guantánamo Bay for the Trump administration's immigration detention operation. Concerned about the conditions for detainees, many of whom had no criminal records, she and her colleagues described the dark and overcrowded facilities where they worked. Amid rising detentions, the healthcare professionals grappled with ethical dilemmas, leading Stewart and others to resign rather than facilitate what they viewed as inhumane treatment. The narrative highlights systemic issues within immigration detention and the healthcare response to a developing humanitarian crisis.
1. Nurse Rebekah Stewart faced ethical dilemmas at Guantánamo Bay. 2. Many detainees were classified as low-risk with no criminal records. 3. Conditions at the facility included overcrowding and lack of natural light. 4. PHS officers struggled with providing adequate care. 5. Stewart and others resigned rather than comply with objectionable assignments. 6. Deployment numbers are increasing as immigration detentions rise. 7. The operational cost of detaining immigrants at Guantánamo is significantly higher than in the U.S. 8. Concerns about the humanitarian crisis continue to grow.
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