In early 2025, the Trump administration announced an ambitious plan to expand and enhance the Migrant Operations Center at the U.S. Naval Base in Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, aiming to house up to 30,000 migrants deemed “high-priority criminal aliens.” This initiative, formalized through a presidential memorandum signed on January 29, 2025, directs the Departments of Defense and Homeland Security to prepare facilities separate from the base’s notorious high-security prison for terrorism suspects. The goal is to relocate individuals with criminal records—particularly those accused of serious crimes like murder, rape, or gang affiliations, such as members of the Venezuelan Tren de Aragua—from the contiguous 48 states to a secure, offshore location. By leveraging Guantánamo’s existing infrastructure, which has historically detained migrants intercepted at sea, the administration seeks to alleviate pressure on overcrowded domestic detention centers while ensuring these individuals cannot easily return to U.S. communities.

The expansion involves significant logistical efforts, including the construction of new facilities to accommodate the projected detainee population. As of February 2025, the Pentagon reported deploying hundreds of military personnel to erect temporary structures, such as 140 new tents near Leeward Point Field, to supplement the existing Migrant Operations Center, which currently has a capacity of only 130 people. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem have emphasized that the facility will serve as a “waystation” for deportations, not indefinite detention, with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) overseeing operations. The administration has explored unconventional spaces, such as a golf course on the base, to potentially house up to 6,000 migrants. However, critics, including human rights groups, argue that the facility’s decrepit state and history of substandard conditions could lead to legal challenges over detainee treatment, especially given reports of past unsanitary conditions and limited access to legal resources.

The rationale behind moving these migrants to Guantánamo Bay is rooted in the administration’s broader immigration crackdown, which prioritizes national security and public safety. By detaining individuals offshore, the Trump administration aims to isolate those it considers the “worst of the worst” from domestic populations, reducing the risk of reentry or criminal activity in the contiguous U.S. The plan has sparked controversy, with Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel calling it an “act of brutality” and human rights organizations warning of due process violations and the stigmatization of migrants. Legal experts, such as Ahilan Arulanantham from UCLA, argue that deporting migrants to Guantánamo may violate U.S. immigration law if their home countries refuse repatriation. Despite these challenges, the administration has begun transferring small groups—starting with 10 “high-threat” Venezuelan detainees in February 2025—while facing mounting legal and logistical hurdles to scale the operation to its 30,000-bed target.