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 Defense and Department of Homeland Security 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.

“We have 30,000 beds in Guantánamo to detain the worst criminal illegal aliens threatening the American people,” Trump said during an event to sign the Laken Riley Act into law, stiffening the nation’s immigration laws.

“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 Guantánamo,” Trump added. “This will double our capacity immediately. And tough, it’s a tough place to get out of.”

The order is the latest step in a government-wide effort enacted by the Trump administration to remove certain immigrants from the United States.

Guantánamo Bay is best known as a military base where terror suspects are held. It became infamous for accusations of torture and abuse as the U.S. carried out the war on terrorism. The Biden administration sought to wind down operations at the facility. There are 15 detainees still there.

The New York Times last September reported that the base also housed a separate facility to house migrants.

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.

His administration has also ramped up deportations, with Immigration and Customs Enforcement posting regular updates about how many arrests it carries out on a day-to-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.

The Trump White House on Sunday sparred with the president of Colombia after he initially refused to accept planes of deported immigrants. Colombia later relented after Trump threatened to impose tariffs and sanctions.

Updated at 3:12 p.m. EST

Topics

‘America’s gulag’: Trump’s Guantánamo ploy tars migrants as terrorists

The president wants to detain thousands of people at a site that is notorious for its secrecy and history of abuse. It has been denounced as “America’s gulag”: a secretive, abuse-ridden Caribbean ...
The Guardian - 1h
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
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 ...
The Hill - 13h
Trump says US will send some migrants to Guantanamo Bay

The president orders the construction of a detention facility at the US Navy base, prompting an angry backlash from Cuba.
BBC 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 - 16h
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 - 19h
Trump says he will send migrants to Guantanamo Bay

Trump, since taking office last week, has taken numerous actions to crack down on illegal U.S. border crossings and deport undocumented migrants.
CNBC - 19h
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 - 21h