Migrants Held at Guantánamo Bay Before Trump’s Order—Here’s What We Know!
President Donald Trump has announced a controversial plan to build a massive migrant detention centre at Guantánamo Bay Naval Base in Cuba, a site long criticised for human rights violations.
The facility, which Trump described as “a tough place to get out of,” will be used to detain what he calls “the worst criminal illegal aliens.” The announcement came during the signing of the Laken Riley Act, which grants authorities power to detain undocumented immigrants accused of theft-related crimes.
Guantánamo Bay’s Dark History
For decades, human rights groups have accused the U.S. government of using Guantánamo Bay to detain migrants fleeing Haiti, Cuba, and other Caribbean nations. The base is infamous for its post-9/11 prison, where terrorist suspects were held without charge and subjected to brutal interrogations.
The move has drawn sharp criticism from advocacy groups. The Centre for Constitutional Rights condemned the decision, saying:
“Migrants and asylum seekers are being cast as the new terrorist threat, discarded in an island prison away from legal and social services.”
Trump’s Plan for Mass Detentions
Trump has ordered the Department of Defence and Homeland Security to expand Guantánamo’s Migrant Operations Centre to full capacity, with plans for a 30,000-person facility.
Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth told Fox News that migrant detainees will be kept separate from terrorism suspects and housed temporarily while awaiting deportation.
However, many details remain unclear:
- How will migrants be housed?
- What new facilities will be built?
- What are the costs of this massive expansion?
A Long History of Migrant Detention
Guantánamo Bay has a long and controversial record of detaining asylum seekers:
- In 1994, President Bill Clinton used the base to process Haitian and Cuban refugees, holding as many as 45,000 people at its peak.
- A 2023 report accused the U.S. of subjecting detained migrants at Guantánamo to abusive guards, poor living conditions, and forced medical procedures.
- Many asylum seekers intercepted at sea have been held indefinitely, often without access to legal representation or the outside world.
What Happens Next?
Trump’s plan far exceeds current U.S. immigration detention capacities. While ICE facilities can hold about 40,000 detainees, this new facility alone would nearly match that number.
With over 11 million undocumented immigrants in the U.S. and 1.4 million facing deportation orders, this move signals a major shift in immigration policy—one that is sure to spark legal battles and international condemnation.
