Hegseth touts Guantánamo Bay as 'perfect spot' to house migrants

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said Guantánamo Bay is the “perfect spot” to house deported migrants, after President Trump signed a memo Wednesday ordering a facility there be prepared for that purpose.

“Guantánamo Bay, Jesse, is a perfect spot,” Hegseth said in an interview on Fox News’s “Jesse Waters Reports.”

“We don't want illegal criminals in the United States any— not a minute longer than they have to be,” he continued. “Move them off to Guantánamo Bay, where they can be safely maintained until they are deported to their final location, their country of origin, where they are headed.”

The memo Trump signed directs the Department of Defense and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to prepare a 30,000-person migrant facility at Guantánamo Bay, a facility in Cuba that has been used to house military prisoners, including several involved in the 9/11 attacks.

Asked whether Guantánamo Bay can accommodate 30,000 people, Hegseth said, “Absolutely we can. And we can plus that up very rapidly.”

Hegseth noted that he served at Guantánamo Bay and is familiar with areas that can house 30,000 migrants. He also said that the military prison “has long been a place for migrants,” adding, “In fact, in the 90s, tens of thousands of Haitian and Cuban migrants staged there as part of a crisis.”

“We have an even bigger crisis on our hands right now,” Hegseth added.

Since taking office on Jan. 20, Trump has signed a slew of executive orders specifically intended to crack down on immigration. He has declared a national emergency at the southern border, deployed military assets to the border, reinstated policies that limit pathways to asylum and paused the refugee program.

The Trump administration has also ramped up deportations, with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) posting regular updates about how many arrests it carries out on a day-to-day basis. But the rapid deportations have, in some cases, led to issues about where to send individuals being removed from the U.S., particularly if certain countries refuse to accept migrants.

“Where do you move them?” Hegseth said, referring to the migrants that ICE arrests. “I'll tell you what. We're not, no one's going to be waiting on the Defense Department. We're going to lean forward.”

“So we feel great about this plan,” he added. “We know we can execute it, and the Defense Department is prepared to do everything we can. We just laud DHS and ICE for what they've done, and we're coming alongside them to make sure we protect the American people.”

Topics

Trump directs Pentagon and DHS to prepare migrant housing at Guantánamo Bay

Trump said earlier Wednesday that the U.S. has "30,000 beds in Guantanamo to detain the worst criminal illegal aliens threatening the American people."
NBC News - 15h
Under Trump orders, Guantánamo Bay facility soon to house migrants

Welcome to The Hill's Defense & NatSec newsletter {beacon} Defense &National Security Defense &National Security The Big Story Under Trump orders, Guantánamo Bay facility soon to house migrants ...
The Hill - 15h
Trump Says U.S. Will Hold Migrants at Guantánamo Bay

The president suggested 30,000 migrants could be housed on the base. It is unclear how the plan will take shape.
The New York Times - 16h
Trump orders opening of migrant detention center at Guantánamo Bay

President signs executive order instructing preparation of facility to house 30,000 immigrants at US naval base in Cuba. US politics – live Donald Trump has signed an executive order to ...
The Guardian - 18h
Trump threatens to open migrant detention center at Guantánamo Bay amid confusion over White House orders – live

Trump says ‘we have 30,000 beds in Guantánamo’; officials scrap measure to freeze federal funding following backlash and court action. White House revokes spending freeze in face of legal ...
The Guardian - 20h
Trump orders preparation of Guantánamo Bay facility to house migrants

President Trump said he is signing an executive order on Wednesday to prepare a massive facility at Guantánamo Bay to be used to house deported migrants. The order will direct the Department of ...
The Hill - 21h
Guantánamo Bay Explained: The Costs, the Captives and Why It’s Still Open

Just 15 men remain at the prison, down from hundreds when it opened 23 years ago. But the costly operation could go on for years.
The New York Times - Jan. 9
11 Yemeni detainees transferred from Guantánamo Bay to Oman

The Pentagon says the military has just transported 11 Yemeni detainees from Guantánamo Bay back to the Middle East. The mission is part of President Biden's long-time effort to shut the prison ...
CBS News - Jan. 7
US transfers 11 prisoners out of Guantánamo Bay

The U.S. on Monday transferred 11 prisoners out of Guantánamo Bay, the latest batch of inmates to leave the infamous facility in Cuba that once held around 780 detainees. The 11 prisoners were ...
The Hill - Jan. 6