Trump Orders Pentagon, DHS to Prepare Migrant Housing at Guantánamo Bay
President Trump claims Guantánamo Bay has "30,000 beds" available for detaining criminal migrants.
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump has issued a directive instructing the Department of Defense and the Department of Homeland Security to begin preparations for expanding a detention facility at the U.S. military base in Guantánamo Bay, Cuba. The move, he stated, is aimed at addressing what he calls an "invasion" at the southern border.
"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," Trump wrote in a memo to the agencies.
During a signing ceremony for the Laken Riley Act, an immigration enforcement measure, Trump previewed the initiative, announcing that he had ordered officials to prepare the facility to accommodate up to 30,000 migrants.
"Most people don’t even know about it," Trump said. "We have 30,000 beds in Guantánamo to detain the worst criminal illegal aliens threatening the American people. Some of them are so dangerous we can’t even trust their home countries to detain them because we don’t want them coming back."
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth expressed support for the directive, stating that Guantánamo Bay is a "perfect spot" for the administration’s broader deportation and detention strategy.
"We can move them to Guantánamo Bay, where they can be safely detained until they are deported to their final destination," Hegseth said in an interview with Fox News. "We know we can execute this plan, and the Defense Department is ready to assist."
Uncertainty Among Defense Officials
Despite the announcement, multiple officials within the Pentagon have indicated that they were caught off guard by the directive. Five defense officials told reporters that they were unaware of the plan’s specifics and that, as of now, no official orders beyond the memo have been issued to military personnel.
One official clarified that while the migrant housing initiative would be managed by the Department of Homeland Security, it is unclear what role, if any, the military would play in the effort.
"We’ve been winding down operations at Guantánamo Bay, so this is a major shift," the official noted.
The military base, which has historically been used to house terrorism suspects, currently hosts a separate Migrant Operations Center. Some officials have suggested that this center could be expanded under the directive, potentially with assistance from military construction teams.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem confirmed in a CNN interview that the administration is evaluating whether Guantánamo Bay could be used for "the worst of the worst" among detained migrants.
A Controversial History
Guantánamo Bay has long been a focal point of controversy. Initially established as a detention center for terrorism suspects following the September 11, 2001, attacks, the facility has drawn criticism from human rights advocates and multiple U.S. administrations. Former Presidents Barack Obama and Joe Biden both sought to shut down the prison, but their efforts were unsuccessful.
As of this month, 15 detainees remain at the Guantánamo Bay detention center following the transfer of 11 Yemeni prisoners to Oman. The Biden administration had made efforts to reduce the facility’s population, but Trump’s new directive signals a reversal of that approach.
Broader Immigration Crackdown
Since returning to office, Trump has taken aggressive measures to curb illegal immigration. In his first week, he declared a national emergency at the southern border, allowing for the potential deployment of military personnel, including the National Guard. He has also issued multiple executive orders aimed at reducing illegal crossings and expanding deportation efforts.
The plan to utilize Guantánamo Bay for migrant housing is expected to face legal and political challenges, with immigration advocates already voicing concerns about the treatment of detainees and the implications of repurposing a site with a controversial human rights record.
As the administration moves forward with its plans, officials and lawmakers alike are preparing for further debates on immigration policy and the future of Guantánamo Bay’s role in U.S. border enforcement.