The U.S. government is contemplating the possibility of sending undocumented immigrants without violent crime records to the Guantanamo Bay Naval Base. This consideration was confirmed by Homeland Security Secretary, Kristi Noem, in an interview with CNN. "We will have facilities that adhere to the same standards as other detention centers across the United States, and I do not believe the president will limit his options when it comes to ensuring the safety of the American public," she stated.
Recently, Noem visited the Guantanamo Bay Naval Base, where several flights carrying detained undocumented immigrants have already arrived. "I was just in Cuba and witnessed firsthand the landing of foreign criminals at Guantanamo," she shared on her X account. "My message to foreign criminals—murderers, rapists, child predators, and gangsters: do not come to this country, or we will hunt you down, find you, and lock you up," she added.
The duration of the detainees' stay at the facility before being deported to their home countries remains unspecified by the official, though she clarified the intention for their stay to be temporary, not extending to "weeks and months." On Tuesday, February 4, the first ten undocumented immigrants, identified as members of the criminal Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua, arrived in Guantanamo.
By Saturday, February 8, the detention center housed "more than three dozen individuals," as disclosed by the United States Southern Command, which oversees operations at the facility, to Voice of America (VOA). The number of flights arriving was not commented on. According to the Department of Defense, the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) holds the migrants while officials determine whether they will be deported to Venezuela or sent elsewhere.
The Trump administration has been explicit in its stance that no distinction will be made between undocumented migrants who have committed serious crimes and those who have simply entered the country illegally, asserting that any such individual may face deportation. "If you are a person, a foreigner who enters the United States of America illegally, you are, by definition, a criminal, and therefore, subject to deportation," stated White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt.
Understanding U.S. Immigration Policies
What is the U.S. government's stance on undocumented immigrants at Guantanamo Bay?
The U.S. government is considering using Guantanamo Bay for detaining undocumented immigrants who haven't committed violent crimes as part of broader immigration control measures.
How long might detainees stay at Guantanamo before deportation?
The duration is unspecified, but the intention is for the stay to be temporary, not lasting "weeks and months."
What is ICE's role regarding migrants at Guantanamo?
ICE detains the migrants while authorities decide whether to deport them to their home countries or send them to different destinations.