Trump Expands Guantánamo Bay to Detain Migrants, Raising Legal and Human Rights Concerns

The facility, historically linked to indefinite detention and human rights abuses, is being repurposed to house up to 30,000 migrants under a controversial executive order.

President Donald Trump has ordered the expansion of Guantánamo Bay to detain up to 30,000 migrants, including asylum seekers, as part of a mass deportation plan.
Critics argue the move repeats Guantánamo's history of legal ambiguity, human rights violations, and exorbitant costs, with $44 million spent annually per detainee in recent years.
Civil rights groups and attorneys claim the administration has provided limited information about detainees and restricted access to legal counsel, raising constitutional concerns.
Many of the migrants transferred to Guantánamo are Venezuelans, with some falsely accused of gang affiliations to justify their detention, according to advocacy groups.
The expansion has drawn comparisons to past controversial uses of Guantánamo, with experts warning it is an ineffective and costly response to complex migration challenges.