Barack Obama, shortly after his inauguration, took a decisive step toward fulfilling his campaign promise to close the Guantanamo Bay detention facility. On January 22, 2009, he signed an executive order instructing that the camp must close within a year. This decision represented a significant shift in U.S. policy regarding the treatment of detainees, moving away from practices that had drawn international condemnation. In his statement, Obama emphasized the need to protect national security while adhering to American values and principles of justice.

The executive order was met with a chorus of support from civil liberties organizations and many members of the international community who had long called for the closure of the facility, which had become synonymous with human rights abuses and legal controversy. Established in the wake of the September 11 attacks, the detention camp had been criticized for indefinite detention without trial, torture allegations, and a lack of due process for the detainees, many of whom were held for years without formal charges.

However, Obama’s initiative faced immediate pushback from Congress, where many lawmakers expressed concerns about the implications of releasing detainees or relocating them to facilities on U.S. soil. Critics argued that closing the facility could compromise national security. Despite Obama's intentions, congressional opposition stalled efforts to implement the executive order fully. The struggle to close Guantanamo became emblematic of the broader challenges faced by his administration, reflecting the difficulties of navigating counterterrorism policies in a post-9/11 context.