Trump’s Guantánamo Migrant Detention Plan Faces Hurdles and Uncertainty
The ambitious plan initiated by former President Donald Trump to detain a significant number of migrants at the Guantánamo Bay Naval Station in Cuba is encountering substantial challenges and logistical setbacks, according to U.S. defense officials who spoke with Fox News. The original directive, issued during Trump’s second week in office, called for the Pentagon and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to establish a detention facility capable of housing up to 30,000 migrants, particularly those deemed "criminal aliens" posing a threat to the American public.
However, the reality on the ground at Guantánamo Bay paints a different picture. Despite the construction of 195 tents intended to house migrants, none of these tents have been utilized for that purpose. Two U.S. defense officials revealed that the tents failed to meet the standards established by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for migrant detention facilities. This discrepancy highlights a fundamental disconnect between the initial directive and the practical requirements for housing migrants in a secure and humane manner.
The initial announcement by Trump emphasized the need to detain the "worst criminal aliens" at Guantánamo, implying a focus on individuals with significant criminal histories. However, the actual number of migrants who have passed through the base since the directive was issued is relatively small. According to U.S. Southern Command, only 256 migrants have been processed at Guantánamo, many of whom were labeled by the Trump administration as posing a serious threat to the U.S. population. Interestingly, the majority of these migrants were subsequently sent back to their home countries, raising questions about the initial assessment of their threat level and the rationale for detaining them at Guantánamo in the first place.
As of Wednesday, the number of migrants held at the base stood at a mere 20. Sixteen of these individuals, classified as "high threat illegal aliens," were being held at the detention facility known as Camp 6, while the remaining four were housed in a backup facility due to the inadequacies of the tents. The lack of clarity surrounding the criteria used by DHS and ICE to designate a migrant as a "high threat" raises concerns about potential biases and inconsistencies in the classification process.
Adding to the confusion, U.S. military officials have stated that they were instructed to set up the tents without receiving clear guidance on the specific standards for holding migrants. The absence of specific guidelines regarding the certification requirements for the tents created significant uncertainty and hampered the construction process. As a result, the operation to build additional tents was halted in February, just weeks after it began.
Despite these setbacks, the Department of Defense (DoD) has maintained that it is committed to ensuring that all individuals housed in the temporary facilities are treated in accordance with DHS/ICE standards. However, the lack of concrete progress in meeting those standards raises doubts about the feasibility of the original plan.
Furthermore, U.S. military aircraft have not been used to transport migrants since March 1, and there are no scheduled flights for this purpose in the near future. While U.S. Transportation Command has C-17s and C-130s ready to support the migrant mission, they have not been asked to conduct any flights in recent days. Instead, several migrants were scheduled to arrive in an ICE-chartered aircraft on Wednesday night, suggesting a shift away from the use of military resources for migrant transportation.
Fox News’ Laura Ingraham conducted an exclusive interview with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Maj. Gen. Phil Ryan, the commanding general for the operation at Guantánamo Bay, on February 25. During the interview, a C-130 flight arrived from Fort Bliss, Texas, carrying nine "high value" detainees from various countries. When questioned about the use of such a large plane for a relatively small number of migrants, Ryan explained that each migrant was accompanied by at least one ICE officer and a medical team.
The high cost associated with using military aircraft for migrant transportation may be a contributing factor to the slowdown in their use. A C-17, for instance, costs approximately $28,500 per hour to fly, while an ICE aircraft costs around $8,500 per flight per hour. This significant cost difference likely influences the decision-making process regarding transportation methods.
Notably, just one day after Ingraham’s interview, nine migrants were sent back to the United States. The reasons for their return remain unclear, and neither DHS nor ICE has provided an explanation. It is also unknown whether these were the same migrants who had arrived the day before, further adding to the ambiguity surrounding the situation.
In conclusion, the Trump administration’s plan to detain a large number of migrants at Guantánamo Bay has encountered numerous obstacles and challenges. The failure to meet ICE standards for migrant detention, the relatively small number of migrants processed at the base, the lack of clear guidance on migrant classification, and the high cost of using military aircraft for transportation have all contributed to the uncertainty surrounding the project. As the Biden administration takes office, the future of this controversial plan remains uncertain, and a reevaluation of the policies and practices at Guantánamo Bay may be warranted.
