On January 29, 2025, President Donald Trump signed an executive order allowing the federal government to prepare the U.S. Naval base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, to house up to 30,000 migrants. Trump stated that the site would be used to “detain the worst criminal illegal aliens” and be “a tough place to get out of.” Management of the Guantanamo Bay detention facility for migrants would be overseen by Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE), according to Trump’s immigration advisers. The facility would hold people while their deportation paperwork is processed and travel arrangements are made, but details about how the migrants will be housed and the costs involved have not been clarified.
Guantanamo Bay is located on the southeastern coast of Cuba and is well known for its detention camps, where the United States holds terrorism suspects, as well as a separate migrant-processing center. This site has been mired in controversy, particularly due to allegations of torture and the detention of hundreds of prisoners without formal charges. Under the administration of President George W. Bush, the military detention center housed 15 detainees, including those accused of involvement in the 9/11 attacks. Under President Clinton, the facility was also used for processing Haitian refugees and later for holding Cuban asylum seekers caught at sea. The U.S. military also prepared the site to host migrants fleeing the catastrophic 2010 earthquakes in Haiti. Additionally, the Biden administration discussed using the center to process Haitian migrants fleeing worsening conditions in their country.
However, a U.S. official stated that facilities at Guantanamo Bay are far from ready to house up to 30,000 migrants. While the capacity existed in the 1990’s, it no longer does, and more staff would be required to manage such an operation. The Cuban government criticized Trump’s plan to house 30,000 migrants in the facility, calling it an act of brutality. The Cuban Foreign Ministry rejected Trump’s decision to use the site as a migrant facility, warning that it could lead to serious consequences.
References
Sullivan, Tim. “What to known about Guantanamo Bay, the base where Trump will send ‘criminal aliens’” AP. January 29, 2025.
Cho, Kelly Kasulis; Masih, Niha. “Migrants were detained at Guantanamo Bay before Trump’s order. Here’s what to know” The Washington Post. January 30, 2025.
Williams, Michael; Britzky, Haley. “Trump directs Guantanamo Bay to be prepared to host up to 30,000 migrants” January 30, 2025.
