Forty illegal migrants, including 23 classified as “high-threat,” have been quietly relocated from Guantanamo Bay to Louisiana without explanation from defense officials, raising security concerns as Trump prepares to implement stronger deportation measures.
Quick Takes
- All 40 illegal migrants previously held at Guantánamo Bay have been transferred to Louisiana via ICE aircraft.
- The group includes 23 “high-threat illegal aliens” and 17 other migrants, but officials haven’t explained why they were moved.
- Trump’s previous plan to create a 30,000-bed facility at Guantanamo Bay for “criminal illegal aliens” was halted in February.
- The administration is expected to invoke the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 for accelerated deportations, particularly targeting gang members.
- The migrant detention facilities at Guantanamo cost taxpayers $16 million but failed to meet ICE standards.
Unexplained Transfer of High-Risk Migrants to U.S. Soil
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has transferred all 40 illegal migrants previously held at the Guantánamo Bay U.S. naval base to Louisiana. Among them are 23 individuals classified as “high-threat illegal aliens,” who had been detained separately from other migrants at the Cuba facility. The abrupt relocation was carried out using ICE aircraft, but U.S. defense officials were not informed of the reasoning behind bringing these high-risk individuals onto American soil. Currently, Guantánamo Bay’s migrant detention area sits empty, with no scheduled flights to bring additional migrants to the facility.
This transfer comes amid mounting questions about border security and the handling of potentially dangerous illegal immigrants. Homeland Security and ICE have remained silent on the matter, refusing to respond to inquiries about the decision-making process that led to relocating these individuals from a secure offshore facility to the mainland United States. The migrants are now reportedly at a processing facility in Alexandria, Louisiana, where their ultimate disposition remains unclear.
Illegal migrants detained at Guantanamo Bay were moved this week to an ICE detention center in Louisiana, according to the Department of Defense. pic.twitter.com/CrswHGN1E3
— The National Desk (@TND) March 14, 2025
Trump’s Guantanamo Expansion Plan Put on Hold
In January, President Trump directed the Pentagon to prepare accommodations for up to 30,000 migrants at Guantánamo Bay, specifically targeting what he described as “criminal illegal aliens.” This directive came as part of his broader strategy to address illegal immigration and enhance border security. The naval base, already known for housing terrorism suspects, was considered by the administration to be strategically suitable for detaining high-risk migrants away from the U.S. mainland.
Despite initial progress that included the installation of 195 tents, the operation was halted in February. Reports indicate these tents, costing an astounding $3.1 million each for a total of $16 million, failed to meet ICE standards due to lacking basic amenities like air conditioning. The number of migrants held at the facility never approached the planned capacity, reaching only “the low hundreds” before the recent evacuation of all detainees.
A spokesperson for the U.S. Southern Command on Thursday said that no “illegal aliens” are being held at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba after 40 immigrants were flown off the base on Tuesday to Louisiana. https://t.co/6aHLfCnLsz
— WCBD News 2 | Count on 2 (@WCBD) March 14, 2025
Potential Invocation of the Alien Enemies Act
The transfer occurs as President Trump is expected to invoke the Alien Enemies Act of 1798, a wartime law that would expedite deportation processes for certain categories of migrants. This rarely-used legislation would specifically target members of dangerous organizations, with the Venezuelan Tren de Aragua gang being identified as a primary focus. Trump campaigned on utilizing this law to detain or deport individuals from nations considered hostile to American interests.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has been vocal about the potential role of Guantánamo Bay in addressing immigration challenges, suggesting it could house the most dangerous offenders and serve as a departure point for those being deported. The administration’s focus remains on what Trump described as “eradicating the scourge” of criminal activity associated with certain immigrant groups. Meanwhile, some troops currently stationed at Guantánamo Bay may be reassigned to bolster security at the southern border, reflecting the administration’s prioritization of immigration enforcement.
Questions of Efficiency and Intent
Critics have raised concerns about both the financial and operational aspects of the Guantánamo migrant detention strategy. Representative Sara Jacobs has characterized the effort as primarily for “optics” with little practical value, pointing to the enormous cost-per-tent and the facilities’ inability to meet basic detention standards. The Department of Defense and Homeland Security are reportedly reconsidering the entire approach to using the naval base for migrant detention, though no official alternative plan has been announced.
The relocation of these 40 migrants, particularly the 23 designated as “high-threat,” to Louisiana raises significant questions about security protocols and the administration’s overall immigration enforcement strategy. With Guantánamo Bay’s migrant facilities now empty and their future utilization uncertain, attention turns to how the administration will handle these individuals now on American soil and whether the naval base will play any role in future immigration enforcement efforts.
Sources:
- All illegal migrants held in Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, have been sent to Louisiana
- Remaining migrants at Guantanamo Bay moved to Louisiana to await deportation
