Trump orders setting up of migrant detention centre at Guantánamo Bay

The naval base in Guantánamo Bay has long been a controversial site, primarily known for the detention of foreign terrorism suspects in the wake of the September 11, 2001 attacks. However, it also houses a lesser-known migrant detention centre, used in the past for people intercepted at sea. Trump’s order would vastly expand this facility’s capacity and role.

“We’re going to send them out to Guantánamo. This will double our capacity immediately,” Trump said.

Alarming conditions

The migrant detention facility at Guantánamo Bay has operated largely out of public view, and its existence has only recently come to light through investigative reporting. According to the New York Times, as of February 2024, four individuals were being held at the site. Reports have surfaced about substandard conditions at the facility, raising concerns about the treatment of detainees.

The order signed on Wednesday calls for an expansion of the existing Migrant Operations Center to accommodate a much larger population, with the potential to hold tens of thousands of immigrants who have been targeted for deportation. The move is expected to escalate legal and humanitarian concerns, with critics pointing to Guantánamo’s fraught history as a detention site for suspected terrorists.

The Laken Riley Act: A new framework for deportation

Trump made the initial announcement while signing the Laken Riley Act, legislation mandating the detention of undocumented immigrants charged with theft-related crimes. The act is named in memory of Laken Riley, a 22-year-old nursing student from Georgia who was murdered in 2023 by an undocumented immigrant from Venezuela. Trump invoked Riley’s case to emphasize his administration’s hardline approach to immigration enforcement.

“This order is about keeping Americans safe from the worst criminal offenders. We’re talking about individuals who are dangerous and who we can’t allow to remain in our country,” Trump said.

Later in the day, the executive order regarding Guantánamo Bay was released, specifying that the Pentagon and the Department of Homeland Security should “take all appropriate actions” to expand the centre’s capacity and address immigration enforcement needs.

“This memorandum is issued in order to halt the border invasion, dismantle criminal cartels, and restore national sovereignty,” the order stated.

A broader effort to curb immigration

Since taking office on January 20, 2024, Trump has issued a series of executive orders aimed at overhauling US immigration policy. His administration’s actions have included declaring a “national emergency” at the southern border, deploying US troops to assist in border security, suspending the nation’s refugee resettlement program, and ending temporary protected status for individuals fleeing crises in their home countries.

These moves have sparked significant pushback from civil rights organizations and some members of Congress. Critics argue that the administration’s approach disregards human rights and international law, while supporters claim the measures are necessary to protect national security and sovereignty.

According to Pentagon data from January 2024, Guantánamo Bay currently holds 15 prisoners, a historic low for the facility. The population at the prison had been steadily reduced during the final weeks of Joe Biden’s presidency, as his administration accelerated the transfer of detainees to other countries.

International backlash

Trump’s decision to use Guantánamo Bay for migrant detention has drawn condemnation from human rights groups and international organizations. Amnesty International, which has long campaigned for the closure of the Guantánamo prison, issued a statement describing the president’s order as a “dangerous escalation” of US immigration policy.

“Guantánamo has been a site of torture, indefinite detention without charge or trial, and other unlawful practices. It should be closed, not repurposed as an immigration detention facility,” Amnesty International said in its statement.

The Cuban government also reacted sharply to the news, with Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla condemning the plan as “a violation of international law and human dignity.” Writing on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, Rodríguez criticized the US for its continued use of the Guantánamo Bay facility, which operates on Cuban territory under a long-standing lease agreement.

Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel echoed these sentiments, calling Trump’s order “an act of brutality” and urging the US to reconsider its approach to immigration.

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