President Donald Trump has announced plans to use Guantanamo Bay, the U.S. naval base in Cuba, as a detention site for tens of thousands of immigrants described as “high-priority criminal aliens unlawfully present in the United States.”
“We’re going to send them out to Guantánamo,” Trump said while signing the Laken Riley Act, which mandates the detention of certain undocumented immigrants.
His administration has directed federal agencies to prepare the facilities to house up to 30,000 individuals deported from the United States.
What Is Guantanamo Bay Used For?
Guantanamo Bay, commonly known as “Gitmo,” has long been associated with the detention of terrorism suspects.
However, it also houses a separate Migrant Operations Center, which has historically been used to hold migrants intercepted at sea, primarily from Haiti and Cuba.
The Trump administration said it would expand the migrant facility rather than use the military prison that has housed detainees from the U.S. war on terror. “We’re just going to expand upon that existing migrant center,” said border czar Tom Homan.
The announcement of the migrant detention expansion at Guantanamo has sparked concern, with human rights groups warning that conditions could become inhumane. Vince Warren, the executive director of the Center for Constitutional Rights, said, “There haven’t been 30,000 beds [there] in decades,” NPR reported. He added that the base’s infrastructure was inadequate and that the expansion could result in legal challenges over the conditions of confinement.
Demonstrators holding a “Close Guantanamo” banner on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., on December 7, 2021. Demonstrators holding a “Close Guantanamo” banner on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., on December 7, 2021. AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana
How Many People Are Held at Guantanamo Bay?
The military detention center at Guantanamo Bay, which is separate from the migrant facility, houses 15 detainees, including Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the accused mastermind of the 9/11 attacks. Under the George W. Bush administration, almost 800 detainees were held in the military detention center. The migrant detention facility, which has been largely unused in recent years, was not designed to hold the numbers Trump has proposed.
Where Is Guantanamo Bay?
Guantanamo Bay is located on the southeastern coast of Cuba. The United States has leased the land from Cuba since 1903 under an agreement that Cuba disputes. The Cuban government has long opposed the U.S.’s presence there, and Cuban officials have criticized Trump’s new policy.
“The U.S. government’s decision to imprison migrants at the Guantanamo Naval Base, in an enclave where it created torture and indefinite detention centers, shows contempt for the human condition and international law,” Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez said on X, formerly Twitter.
Who Owns Guantanamo Bay?
The United States has controlled Guantanamo Bay since 1903 under the lease agreement with Cuba. The Cuban government refuses to recognize the agreement and rejects the nominal rent payments the U.S. sends each year. While the U.S. legally maintains the base, its continued presence has been a long-standing point of contention between the two nations.
Do People Live on Guantanamo Bay?
Yes. Guantanamo Bay is home to a U.S. military community that includes service members and their families. According to the U.S. Navy, military personnel assigned to the base are offered housing, and eligible residents can apply for housing through the Navy’s Housing Service Center. Upon arrival, families are placed in temporary lodging before being assigned permanent housing, depending on availability.
