On February 13, 2010, the US Supreme Court ordered the Obama administration to file briefs in response to Switzerland's acceptance of asylum for two Uighur detainees housed at Guantanamo Bay. The Swiss accepted the detainees after the Supreme Court granted certiorari to decide if the judicial branch has the power to order the release of detainees in to the US. The Obama administration had refused to repatriate the Uighur detainees due to their being labeled terrorists in their home country and fears that they would be interrogated or tortured. The two detainees were transferred to Switzerland in March 2010, which reduced the number of Uighur detainees at Guantanamo Bay from 22 to five.

Read comprehensive coverage on the legal controversies surrounding Guantanamo Bay in Features.