On Wednesday, President Donald Trump announced a plan to house up to 30,000 migrants at the U.S. military facility in Guantánamo Bay, Cuba. This bold directive aims to address what Trump refers to as a "border invasion," further amplifying the controversial discourse surrounding immigration policies in America. As tensions mount along the southern border, this proposal seeks to expand the capabilities of Guantánamo Bay as a detention site for what the Trump administration describes as "high-priority criminal aliens" who are in this country illegally.
Trump’s directive is poised to stir significant debate regarding immigration policy in the United States and the effectiveness and ethics of using a military facility for this purpose.
Here are the top five things to know about this story:
1. The Memo
“I hereby direct the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of Homeland Security to take all appropriate actions to expand the Migrant Operations Center at Naval Station Guantánamo Bay to full capacity to provide additional detention space for high-priority criminal aliens unlawfully present in the United States and to address attendant immigration enforcement needs identified by the Department of Defense and the Department of Homeland Security,” the memorandum reads.
This directive, a part of the broader immigration crackdown seen during Trump’s second term, signals a significant shift in how the U.S. plans to manage migrant deportations. The goal of this facility is to detain 30,000 criminal illegal aliens.
2. Reactions
Many officials at the Pentagon were reportedly caught off-guard by the announcement. They expressed uncertainty over the logistics and details of the operation. However, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, who has experience at Guantánamo, said it "is a perfect spot."
“Move them off to Guantánamo Bay, where they can be safely maintained until they are deported to their final location, their country of origin," Hegseth said on Fox News. “We know we can execute it, and the Defense Department is prepared to do everything we can.”
The announcement drew sharp criticism from Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel, who condemned the action as "an act of brutality." He argued that it represented an unjust imprisonment of migrants in what he deemed "illegally occupied territory."
3. Interests in Detaining Criminal Aliens
The focus on housing "high-priority criminal aliens" underscores Trump's commitment to strict immigration enforcement. Trump argued that many migrants pose significant risks to American safety, asserting that some cannot be returned to their home countries due to safety concerns.
Last week Colombian President Gustavo Petro initially refused to accept U.S. military planes with deported illegals. That move prompted Trump to threaten to raise tariffs on Columbia. Petro quickly caved and even offered his own plane to retrieve them.
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4. Historical Context of Guantánamo Bay
Guantanamo Bay, situated on Cuba’s southeastern coast, has been under U.S. control since 1903 through a lease that Cuba has long disputed. The Cuban government has consistently opposed the U.S. presence there and has criticized Trump’s latest plan for the facility.
The facility, located at the U.S. naval base in Cuba, gained international prominence as a detention center for suspected terrorists following the September 11 attacks. Under Barack Obama's administration, there was a concerted effort to reduce the prisoner population and eventually close the facility, a policy later continued under Joe Biden's administration. Currently, the facility holds just 15 detainees. Roughly 780 detainees have been held there.
5. Broader Immigration Strategy
So far, Trump’s hardline approach to combating illegal immigration has seen tangible outcomes, such as the reported removal and return of over 7,300 illegal aliens within just the first week of his second term.
The announcement is part of a larger immigration strategy that Trump promised to implement upon taking office. Following his inauguration on January 20, he issued ten executive orders aimed at reshaping U.S. immigration law and policy fundamentally. This included sealing off the asylum system for undocumented individuals, deploying armed federal agents for deportation raids, and tracking the immigration process more meticulously. He also declared a national emergency at the border and has since launched numerous executive actions to enforce stricter immigration policies.
This directive aligns with Trump's broader immigration strategy, which has included a series of measures aimed at reducing illegal immigration and deporting illegals who came here under Joe Biden. The proposal to utilize Guantánamo Bay illustrates the administration's willingness to explore new approaches to protect Americans from criminal illegal aliens who should have never been allowed in this country in the first place.