The United States government has embarked on a controversial initiative, originally proposed during Donald Trump's presidency, to transfer up to 30,000 migrants to the Guantánamo Bay Naval Base in Cuba. This plan aims to ease the burden on U.S. detention centers by housing irregular migrants accused of criminal activities.
Pete Hegseth, the U.S. Secretary of Defense, announced on Thursday that his department is actively working to prepare a section within the base to accommodate this influx. "We are prepared to support the president's directive to ensure we have a secure location for violent illegal offenders once deported from the country," Hegseth stated in a video shared on social media.
An executive order signed by Trump on Wednesday directs both the Department of Defense and the Department of Homeland Security to "take all necessary measures to expand the Migrant Operations Center at the Guantánamo Bay Naval Station to its maximum capacity to provide additional detention space for high-priority criminal aliens."
During the signing of the document, Trump highlighted that the U.S. has around 30,000 beds available at Guantánamo to house what he described as "the worst illegal criminal immigrants threatening the American people." The White House defends this measure as part of its strategy to address the ongoing migration crisis, driven by the current administration's deportation plan.
"Some of them are so dangerous that we don't even trust other countries to keep them because we don't want them returning, so we're sending them to Guantánamo. This will immediately double our capacity, won't it? And it's tough. It's a tough place to escape from. Today's signatures bring us one step closer to eradicating the scourge of migrant crime in our communities once and for all," were the sentiments expressed.
The Cuban government has condemned the decision as an act of "brutality." President Miguel Díaz-Canel took to social media to denounce the move: "In an act of brutality, the new U.S. government announces the incarceration at the Guantánamo Naval Base, located on illegally occupied Cuban territory, of thousands of forcibly expelled migrants, who will be placed alongside the notorious torture and illegal detention prisons."
Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez also criticized the U.S. decision, stating that "the U.S. government's choice to imprison migrants at the Guantánamo Naval Base, an enclave where it established torture and indefinite detention centers, shows disdain for human dignity and international law." Rodríguez emphasized that this piece of land at the eastern tip of the island is "Cuban territory illegally occupied beyond the jurisdiction of U.S. courts."
The Guantánamo Bay Naval Base, controlled by the United States in southeastern Cuba, spans approximately 117 square kilometers. Its history is marked by geopolitical disputes, its use as a detention center, and its impact on Cuban-U.S. relations. In 1903, the U.S. and Cuban governments signed a perpetual lease for the base at $4,085 annually under the Cuban-American Treaty. This agreement was reaffirmed in 1934 with the Platt Amendment and can only be revoked by mutual consent.
Since 1959, Cuba has regarded the base as illegally occupied territory and has refused to accept rent payments. The base has served various military purposes, but it gained notoriety in 2002 for housing the Guantánamo prison, where the U.S. detained suspected terrorists following the September 11, 2001, attacks. The use of torture and indefinite detention at the facility has been widely criticized by international organizations and human rights groups. Despite efforts by several administrations to close the prison, it continues to operate with a reduced detainee population.
U.S. Migrant Policy and Guantánamo Bay
Why is the U.S. relocating migrants to Guantánamo Bay?
The U.S. is relocating migrants to Guantánamo Bay as part of a plan to alleviate overcrowding in domestic detention centers and to manage high-priority criminal aliens more securely.
How has the Cuban government responded to this plan?
The Cuban government has condemned the plan, labeling it as an act of brutality and criticizing the U.S. for using a territory they consider illegally occupied for such purposes.
What historical agreements govern the use of Guantánamo Bay?
The use of Guantánamo Bay is governed by a perpetual lease agreement signed in 1903 between the U.S. and Cuba, reaffirmed by the Platt Amendment in 1934, which can only be revoked by mutual agreement.
What are the criticisms regarding the Guantánamo prison?
The Guantánamo prison has faced criticism for the use of torture and indefinite detention, drawing condemnation from international organizations and human rights advocates.