Trump’s New Directive on Migrant Detention at Guantanamo Bay Raises Questions
The Pentagon is grappling with President Donald Trump’s recent directive to expand migrant detention facilities at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. The announcement has stirred uncertainty about the logistics and legal frameworks involved in detaining tens of thousands of migrants at a base known for holding 9/11 terrorism suspects.
In a surprise move, President Trump declared the availability of “30,000 beds in Guantanamo to detain the worst criminal aliens threatening the American people” during a bill signing event. This statement, however, faces scrutiny as independent reports suggest the facility’s actual capacity is significantly lower, posing operational and financial challenges for such a massive expansion.
Following Trump’s announcement, an executive order was issued, directing both the Pentagon and the Department of Homeland Security to “take all appropriate actions to expand the Migrant Operations Center at Naval Station Guantanamo Bay to full capacity.” The order is part of Trump’s broader initiative, touted as the largest migrant deportation effort in U.S. history. This effort also includes the deployment of 1,600 active-duty troops to the Mexico border and the use of Air Force flights for deportations.
Despite the order, Pentagon and Navy officials were hesitant to comment, citing a lack of information on the details. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth stated in a video uploaded to social media that the Pentagon was “leaning forward on supporting the president’s directive” and working in real-time to address the situation.
The Migrant Operations Center at Guantanamo Bay initially began under the Reagan administration to house Cuban and Haitian refugees intercepted at sea. Though the facility persists, a report by a Swiss-based refugee nonprofit estimated its capacity at just 130 people. The New York Times noted that the facility held 37 migrants from 2020 to 2023.
Concerns surround the rights and conditions of migrants detained at Guantanamo. A 2024 report by the International Refugee Assistance Project described the center’s conditions as “prison-like” with limited transparency. Legal experts highlight a 1993 Supreme Court ruling that the Refugee Act of 1980, which protects refugees from being returned to hostile environments, does not apply outside U.S. territory, such as Guantanamo Bay.
Uncertainty extends to other potential sites for migrant detention. CBS reported that Buckley Space Force Base in Colorado was used by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to process migrants, although U.S. Northern Command later clarified that Buckley is no longer identified as a support base. ICE has not commented on the matter.
This directive is one of several controversial orders issued by Trump, including the reinstatement of troops discharged over the COVID-19 vaccine mandate and a ban on transgender military service. Both orders have left the Pentagon with significant questions and implementation challenges.
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