Trump to Utilize Guantanamo Bay for Deportations “`

President Trump announced plans to use the US military detention facility at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, to house up to 30,000 deported immigrants.

President Donald Trump unveiled a plan to expand Guantanamo Bay’s detention facilities to accommodate thousands of deported immigrants, intensifying his crackdown on illegal immigration. This announcement followed the signing of the bipartisan Laken Riley Act, which allows for the detention and potential deportation of undocumented individuals accused of theft or violent crimes, even before conviction. Trump justified using Guantanamo Bay by stating that some individuals are so dangerous that he doesn’t trust other countries to detain them, fearing their return to the US. He intends to send these individuals to Guantanamo, describing it as a difficult place to escape.

While Guantanamo Bay is primarily known for holding terrorism suspects, it also has a separate migrant processing center. Trump plans to issue an executive order instructing the Departments of Defense and Homeland Security to expand and prepare the facilities for the incoming detainees.

Trump asserted that the facility has the capacity to hold 30,000 detainees, claiming this action will significantly reduce migrant crime. He stated that this move would substantially reduce the problem of migrant crime.

Since his return to office, President Trump has implemented numerous executive orders aimed at reforming the US immigration system. ICE agents have conducted widespread raids, detaining hundreds of individuals daily in cities such as Boston, New York, Newark, and San Francisco, focusing on those who committed crimes after illegally entering the US.

The Trump administration has also increased deportation efforts, utilizing military aircraft for deportations and threatening sanctions against countries refusing to accept deportees.

Established as a US naval base in 1903, Guantanamo Bay became a detention center in 2002 under President George W. Bush to house suspected terrorists after the September 11th attacks. The facility has faced widespread criticism for alleged torture and indefinite detention without charges or trials. As of January 2025, 15 detainees remain, many imprisoned for over two decades without formal charges.

The Cuban government continues to condemn the US military base at Guantanamo Bay, viewing it as a violation of Cuban sovereignty and raising concerns about human rights abuses. Upon his return to office, Trump re-designated Cuba as a state sponsor of terrorism, reversing a decision made by President Biden.