Former President Donald Trump has announced plans to expand the Guantanamo Bay facility in Cuba to detain undocumented migrants deemed national security threats. The new detention center, separate from the existing military prison, will house criminal migrants considered too dangerous for deportation.
Former President Donald Trump has announced plans to expand the Guantanamo Bay facility in Cuba to detain undocumented migrants deemed national security threats. The new detention center, separate from the existing military prison, will house criminal migrants considered too dangerous for deportation.
Guantanamo’s Role in Migrant Detention
For decades, Guantanamo Bay has held migrants intercepted at sea, drawing criticism from human rights organizations. Trump’s border tsar, Tom Homan, confirmed that ICE will manage the expanded facility and process migrants captured at sea by the US Coast Guard. He emphasized that strict detention standards would be enforced.
However, the timeline and cost of the expansion remain unclear.
Cuba Condemns the Move
The Cuban government strongly opposes the expansion, calling it an act of illegal detention and human rights abuse.
President Miguel Díaz-Canel criticized the decision, stating:
“The US plans to incarcerate thousands of forcibly expelled migrants on illegally occupied Cuban territory, near known centers of torture and detention.”
Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez echoed these concerns, accusing the US of violating international law.
Ties to the Laken Riley Act
Trump’s announcement coincided with the signing of the Laken Riley Act, which mandates that undocumented immigrants arrested for theft or violent crimes remain in jail until trial. The law is named after Laken Riley, a Georgia nursing student murdered by a Venezuelan migrant in 2024.
At the White House signing ceremony, Trump said the Guantanamo facility will double the US migrant detention capacity.
“Some of them are so bad we don’t even trust their home countries to hold them. We’re sending them to Guantanamo… it’s a tough place to escape from,” Trump stated.
Funding and Political Implications
The Trump administration plans to request congressional funding through a Republican-backed spending bill. When asked about financing, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem stated that funds would be allocated through reconciliation and appropriations.
Guantanamo’s military prison, established after 9/11, once held hundreds of terrorism suspects. Despite efforts by Democratic presidents, including Barack Obama, to close it down, 15 detainees remain in custody today.
Human Rights Concerns Grow
Human rights organizations oppose the expansion, citing past concerns over indefinite detention. The International Refugee Assistance Project (IRAP) previously accused the Biden administration of inhumane conditions at Guantanamo.
Now, with Trump’s clear intent to use the facility for long-term migrant detention, legal and humanitarian battles over immigrant rights are expected to intensify.
As tensions rise, all eyes remain on Congress, human rights organizations, and US-Cuba diplomatic relations to see how this unfolds.
For decades, Guantanamo Bay has held migrants intercepted at sea, drawing criticism from human rights organizations. Trump’s border tsar, Tom Homan, confirmed that ICE will manage the expanded facility and process migrants captured at sea by the US Coast Guard. He emphasized that strict detention standards would be enforced.
However, the timeline and cost of the expansion remain unclear.
Cuba Condemns the Move
The Cuban government strongly opposes the expansion, calling it an act of illegal detention and human rights abuse.
President Miguel Díaz-Canel criticized the decision, stating:
“The US plans to incarcerate thousands of forcibly expelled migrants on illegally occupied Cuban territory, near known centers of torture and detention.”
Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez echoed these concerns, accusing the US of violating international law.
Ties to the Laken Riley Act
Trump’s announcement coincided with the signing of the Laken Riley Act, which mandates that undocumented immigrants arrested for theft or violent crimes remain in jail until trial. The law is named after Laken Riley, a Georgia nursing student murdered by a Venezuelan migrant in 2024.
At the White House signing ceremony, Trump said the Guantanamo facility will double the US migrant detention capacity.
“Some of them are so bad we don’t even trust their home countries to hold them. We’re sending them to Guantanamo… it’s a tough place to escape from,” Trump stated.
Funding and Political Implications
The Trump administration plans to request congressional funding through a Republican-backed spending bill. When asked about financing, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem stated that funds would be allocated through reconciliation and appropriations.
Guantanamo’s military prison, established after 9/11, once held hundreds of terrorism suspects. Despite efforts by Democratic presidents, including Barack Obama, to close it down, 15 detainees remain in custody today.
Human rights organizations oppose the expansion, citing past concerns over indefinite detention. The International Refugee Assistance Project (IRAP) previously accused the Biden administration of inhumane conditions at Guantanamo.
Now, with Trump’s clear intent to use the facility for long-term migrant detention, legal and humanitarian battles over immigrant rights are expected to intensify.
As tensions rise, all eyes remain on Congress, human rights organizations, and US-Cuba diplomatic relations to see how this unfolds.
