WASHINGTON D.C. – U.S. President Donald Trump has issued an executive order directing the preparation of the Guantanamo Bay Naval Base in Cuba to detain migrants who have committed crimes while in the United States. The announcement came during a ceremony at the White House where Trump signed the Laken Riley Act, a new law aimed at strengthening immigration enforcement.
Trump stated that the facility would be prepared to accommodate up to 30,000 individuals, describing it as a means to “detain the worst criminal illegal aliens threatening the American people.” He emphasized that some of these individuals are considered too dangerous to be held in their countries of origin, stating, “Some of them are so bad we don’t even trust the countries to hold them, because we don’t want them coming back. So we’re going to send them out to Guantanamo.”
The U.S. naval base at Guantanamo Bay has previously housed migrants, particularly those intercepted at sea, in a separate facility from the notorious detention camp used for terrorism suspects since its establishment in 2002. However, the scale of this new directive suggests a significant expansion of the migrant detention capabilities at the site.
The decision has sparked immediate international criticism, with Cuban President Miguel DÃaz-Canel describing the plan as “an act of brutality” on social media. The Cuban government has long opposed the U.S. lease of Guantanamo Bay, which dates back over a century.
Human rights organizations have also voiced concerns over the implications of using Guantanamo for migrant detention, citing past allegations of harsh conditions and human rights abuses at the facility. The move is seen by some as an escalation of Trump’s hardline stance on immigration, aligning with his broader policy to deport millions of undocumented immigrants from the U.S.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and border czar Tom Homan have defended the decision, calling Guantanamo an “asset” for managing high-priority criminal aliens. They confirmed that the existing migrant center would be expanded, with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) overseeing operations.
The logistical and financial details of how this expansion will be managed, including the cost and timeline for readiness, are yet to be fully disclosed. Critics argue that this could strain U.S. resources and international relations further, particularly with Cuba and countries whose citizens might be detained.
