The directive aims to establish a 30,000-bed facility for detained migrants as part of Trump’s broader crackdown on immigration policies.
Washington, D.C., January 30: In a major escalation of his immigration enforcement policies, U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Wednesday that he will sign an executive order directing the Department of Defense and Department of Homeland Security to establish a 30,000-person migrant detention facility at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, The Hill reported.
Speaking at the signing of the Laken Riley Act, Trump defended the move, stating that the high-security military base, previously used to detain terrorism suspects, would now serve as a holding facility for “the worst criminal illegal aliens.”
“Some of them are so bad we don’t even trust the countries to hold them because we don’t want them coming back, so we’re going to send them out to Guantanamo,” Trump said.
“This will double our capacity immediately. And tough, it’s a tough place to get out of.”
Trump’s Broader Immigration Crackdown
The Guantanamo Bay facility expansion is part of Trump’s aggressive efforts to restrict immigration and deport undocumented individuals, a policy shift that has already seen sweeping actions, including:
🔹 Suspension of the US Refugee Admissions Program – Blocking entry for refugees from Ukraine, Afghanistan, Venezuela, and Haiti.
🔹 End of Humanitarian Parole – Halting legal pathways for migrants, affecting 240,000 Ukrainians and 70,000 Afghans who had entered the US under Biden’s programs.
🔹 Cancellation of Sponsorship Programs – Ending initiatives that allowed Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans, and Venezuelans to enter through family reunification or humanitarian sponsorship.
🔹 Revocation of CBP One Mobile App – Shutting down the system that processed 1,500 asylum seekers per day at legal ports of entry.
🔹 ICE Crackdown on Migrants Who Entered Under Biden – Revoking parole status for over 1.5 million individuals, increasing the risk of mass deportations.
Guantanamo Bay: A Controversial Detention Site
🔹 The US military base in Cuba has historically been used to detain terrorism suspects, including those linked to the 9/11 attacks.
🔹 The facility has been criticized for human rights abuses, including torture allegations during the US’s war on terror.
🔹 The Biden administration had scaled back operations at Guantanamo, reducing detainees to just 15 prisoners before Trump’s latest directive.
Biden vs. Trump: The Immigration Divide
Under President Biden, immigration policies focused on expanding legal pathways and reducing border chaos through programs like CBP One and Uniting for Ukraine. However, Trump’s sweeping rollback aims to tighten borders, limit asylum, and expedite deportations, sparking legal and humanitarian concerns.
With the 2024 U.S. presidential elections approaching, immigration remains a defining issue, and Trump’s latest executive order signals a hardline stance that could shape the future of U.S. immigration policy.