Statements and actions from U.S. political parties and their leaders

Trump Signs Order to Hold 30,000 'Worst' Illegal Migrants at Guantanamo Bay

Jan 29, 2025, 09:16 PM

President Donald Trump announced on Wednesday that he is directing the opening of a detention center at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, to hold up to 30,000 migrants living illegally in the United States who cannot be deported to their home countries. Signing an executive order during the Laken Riley Act ceremony, Trump instructed the Departments of Defense and Homeland Security to prepare a 30,000-person migrant facility at the naval base. The president emphasized that "most people don't even know about it." The facility is intended to detain "the worst criminal illegal aliens threatening the American people," according to Trump. "That's a tough place to get out of," he said, highlighting the secure nature of the facility. Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel denounced the move as "an act of brutality." The decision comes as the administration ramps up deportations and seeks solutions for migrants who cannot be returned to their home countries.