Former U.S. President Donald Trump has begun using Guantanamo Bay, a military prison notorious for human rights abuses, to detain migrants classified as dangerous criminals. According to a report from the Daily Mail, ten Venezuelan gang members were the first to be transferred to the facility under Trump’s new immigration crackdown. This move has ignited debate, with critics arguing that Guantanamo is being repurposed as a detention center for migrants.
Guantanamo Bay, a U.S. naval base in Cuba, became infamous after it was opened in 2002 to house terrorism suspects following the 9/11 attacks. The prison has faced global criticism for alleged torture and the indefinite detention of inmates without trial. Trump’s administration now plans to use it as a holding center for up to 30,000 migrants who are deemed “the worst criminal aliens” and difficult to deport.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem defended the decision, stating, “President Donald Trump has been very clear: Guantanamo Bay will hold the worst of the worst. That starts today.” The base already has a small migrant processing center for individuals caught at sea, but under Trump’s policy, thousands more could be held in temporary tent facilities. Some detainees may even be placed in the high-security prison, which still houses 15 terrorism suspects, including Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the alleged mastermind of the 9/11 attacks.
While Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has suggested that detainees will only be held temporarily, Trump himself has indicated that some could face long-term detention. In January, he stated, “Some of them are so bad that we don’t even trust the countries to hold them because we don’t want them coming back, so we’re gonna send them out to Guantanamo.” The administration has not ruled out whether women and children could also be detained at the facility, raising further concerns among human rights groups.
Critics argue that Trump is unfairly linking migrants to terrorism by using Guantanamo Bay as a detention site. Human rights organizations have condemned the move, warning that it could normalize the indefinite detention of migrants in a facility known for harsh conditions. However, Trump’s administration insists that the decision is meant to deter criminal gangs from attempting to enter the U.S. illegally. Officials believe that Guantanamo’s reputation as a “tough place” will serve as a warning to potential offenders.
Guantanamo Bay has long been a controversial facility due to its history of harsh treatment of detainees. At its peak, nearly 700 prisoners were held there, often without trial, and subjected to interrogation techniques widely condemned as torture. Waterboarding, sleep deprivation, and extreme temperature exposure were among the methods used. The prison is also an expensive burden, costing an estimated $440 million annually to operate—about $36 million per inmate.
Despite multiple efforts to close Guantanamo Bay, the facility has remained operational. Presidents George W. Bush, Barack Obama, and Joe Biden all pledged to shut it down, but congressional opposition and logistical challenges have prevented its closure. Biden recently transferred 11 Yemeni prisoners to Oman, but 15 detainees remain, many classified as “forever prisoners” due to their indefinite detention status.
Trump’s decision marks a shift in Guantanamo’s use, moving it from a prison for terrorism suspects to a migrant detention center. Given the prison’s legal complexities, detainees may face indefinite detention without formal trials. As Trump himself has stated, “Guantanamo is a tough place to get out of,” signaling that his administration intends to use the facility as a key part of his hardline immigration policies.