The Trump administration has announced plans to build a large migrant detention center at the Guantánamo Bay Naval Base in Cuba. The facility, which would accommodate up to 30,000 people, is intended to house individuals detained during the administration’s intensified immigration enforcement efforts.

President Donald Trump revealed the plan while signing the Laken Riley Act, a bill aimed at increasing the detention of immigrants arrested for certain crimes. He described the new facility as a necessary measure to hold individuals who pose security risks. Trump also stated that some detainees would be sent to Guantánamo because the U.S. does not trust their home countries to detain them properly.

Currently, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operates detention centers with a total capacity of about 40,000 beds. The proposed Guantánamo site would significantly expand that capacity, surpassing any single ICE facility in the U.S.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth defended the plan, citing Guantánamo’s history as a site for holding migrants intercepted at sea. He emphasized that detainees would not be housed alongside terrorism suspects and described the facility as a temporary processing center for deportations. He also mentioned that the base has the potential to expand its detention capacity further, utilizing existing infrastructure such as a golf course.

While the administration frames the move as a necessary step in its immigration crackdown, the plan raises concerns about detainees’ access to legal and consular services. Military bases have been used in the past for immigration detention, but officials have acknowledged that many do not meet standard detention facility requirements.

The administration has ramped up immigration enforcement, with ICE officers making thousands of arrests nationwide. However, deportation efforts have been complicated by some countries’ refusal to accept repatriation flights. Trump has stated that he will ensure those countries comply.

In addition to Guantánamo, the administration is utilizing domestic military bases for immigration detention. Officials confirmed that Buckley Space Force Base in Colorado will temporarily hold detained migrants. The decision has drawn criticism from lawmakers, including Rep. Jason Crow, who warned against involving the military in domestic immigration enforcement.