Albuquerque, N.M. — A federal court has stopped the Trump administration from transferring three Venezuelan immigrants from New Mexico to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. The decision comes as part of the president’s strict immigration policies.

Earlier that day, the men’s lawyers filed a request to block the transfer. They argued that the government targeted them because they were Venezuelan and had been arrested in the El Paso area with false accusations of gang ties. The gang, Tren de Aragua, started in a Venezuelan prison and has spread across Latin America.

The request was sent to a U.S. District Court in New Mexico. The lawyers said the government created too much uncertainty about the men’s legal rights and their ability to speak with attorneys.

During a brief hearing, Judge Kenneth J. Gonzales agreed to temporarily stop the transfer. The government opposed the ruling, but attorney Jessica Vosburgh said the decision could change in the coming weeks.

A message was sent to U.S. Customs and Immigration Enforcement for comment, but there was no response.

The lawsuit was filed by three organizations that fight for immigrants’ rights: the Center for Constitutional Rights, the ACLU of New Mexico, and the Las Americas Immigrant Advocacy Center.

Last week, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem confirmed that flights carrying detained immigrants had landed at Guantanamo Bay. Immigration rights groups have demanded access to the people held there, arguing that the base should not be used to keep detainees in legal limbo.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said Wednesday that over 8,000 people have been arrested in immigration raids since President Trump took office on January 20. The president has promised to deport millions of the estimated 11.7 million undocumented immigrants in the U.S.