Trump Expands Center at Guantanamo Bay for Migrant Detention

Expansion of Migrant Operations Center at Guantanamo Bay

In the wake of mass arrests from ICE enforcement operations, Trump announced that the Migrant Operations Center at Guantanamo Bay will be expanded to “full capacity to provide additional detention space” for detained noncitizens (See “Expanding Migrant Operations Center at Naval Station Guantanamo Bay to Full Capacity”). Trump’s executive order claims that the center would be for “high-priority criminal aliens” but it is unclear at this time to which categories of ICE detainees this would apply.

The center is separate from the prison for suspected terrorists, and has been used by previous administrations to house and process Haitian and Cuban migrants intercepted at sea. Migrant rights groups have previously criticized the center for impeding access to asylum for undocumented migrants held there. According to a report from the International Refugee Assistance Project, migrants detained in the center were subject to inhumane conditions which included lack of access to drinkable water and healthcare and exposure to open sewage.

Additional Plans for Detention Expansion

This announcement is a recent development in efforts to expand ICE detention centers to keep up with the amount of anticipated detainees from enforcement operations.

In December 2024, the ACLU reported that they received information on ICE contract requests to expand their detention capacity in California, Kansas, Nevada, New Mexico, Texas, and Washington. GEO Group, CoreCivic, and Management & Training Corporation have submitted proposals to expand several facilities with a track record of abusive conditions. Detainees in these facilities have experienced medical negligence, racial discrimination, and verbal abuse. Other corporations submitted proposals to supply staffing and compliance monitoring.

Stock prices have already gone up for GEO Group and CoreCivic as private investors anticipate a boom in the private detention industry. The Texas State Land Commissioner has also offered Trump ranchland on the southern border to build deportation facilities.

Ongoing Threat to Fundamental Human Rights

In light of mass ICE arrests (including instances of collateral arrests) and the expanded use of expedited removal without due process, the future use of Guantanamo Bay as a detention center raises concerns that noncitizens will be held indefinitely in inhumane conditions without an avenue to appeal their case. This is especially concerning given the reported instances of wrongful arrests by ICE of US citizens and ICE operations being conducted without proper judicial warrants.

Those detained in the US interior are at similar risk of being held in abusive conditions, especially if ICE accepts the proposals to expand into facilities with an established history of abuse. Increased arrest quotas for ICE agents and the passing of the Laken Riley Act are also going to increase demand for detention capacity and put more individuals at risk for wrongful arrest and poor treatment.

These developments in Trump’s immigration crackdown threaten to further infringe upon the fundamental human rights of noncitizens.

While the Lemkin Institute continues to report on important immigration policy changes, we cannot offer individualized legal advice.

If you think you may be affected by policy changes, please contact an immigration lawyer.