Chicago March 16, 2025
President Donald Trump has unveiled plans to build a detention facility at the US Naval Base in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, with the capacity to hold up to 30,000 migrants. This move aims to detain undocumented immigrants accused of serious crimes, such as theft and violent offenses.
The announcement coincided with the signing of the Laken Riley Act, a law requiring the detention of undocumented immigrants charged with specific crimes pending trial. The act is named after a Georgia nursing student who was murdered by a Venezuelan migrant last year.
According to Trump, the Guantanamo facility will be reserved for “the worst criminal illegal aliens threatening the American people.” The proposed facility will expand on the existing Guantanamo Migrant Operations Center, increasing its capacity and shifting its focus to detaining individuals apprehended within the US.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem stated that the base could be used to detain “the worst of the worst.” However, critics, including human rights organizations and the Cuban government, have expressed strong opposition to the plan.
