Donald Trump has signed an executive order to prepare a massive detention facility at Guantánamo Bay, capable of holding up to 30,000 immigrants deported from the United States. The order targets undocumented immigrants charged with theft-related crimes, a move mandated by the Laken Riley Act. The Act, named after a nursing student from Georgia murdered in 2023 by an undocumented immigrant from Venezuela, aims to address growing concerns over crimes committed by undocumented individuals.
In his directive, Trump stated:
"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 Guantanamo 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." – Donald Trump
Guantánamo Bay already houses facilities for migrants picked up at sea, as well as a high-security prison for foreign terrorism suspects established after the September 11 attacks. However, as of February 2024, only four detainees remained, according to the New York Times. The new executive order marks a significant shift in its use, with Trump declaring a "national emergency" to send US troops to the southern border and suspending the nation's refugee resettlement program.
Trump's decision has sparked international controversy, particularly from Cuba. Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel labeled the plan "an act of brutality," while Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla criticized it on social media, stating it "shows contempt towards the human condition and international law."
The President justified his decision by emphasizing national security:
"This memorandum is issued in order to halt the border invasion, dismantle criminal cartels, and restore national sovereignty." – Donald Trump
He further explained the rationale behind using Guantánamo Bay:
"Some of them are so bad, we don’t even trust the countries [of origin] to hold them because we don’t want them coming back," – Donald Trump
"So we’re going to send them out to Guantánamo. This will double our capacity immediately." – Donald Trump
The expansion of Guantánamo Bay for detaining immigrants comes amidst broader changes in US immigration policy. Trump has revoked temporary protected status for people fleeing humanitarian crises, further tightening immigration controls. Meanwhile, in his final weeks in office, Joe Biden accelerated the transfer of Guantánamo inmates to third countries, reducing the number of detainees.