Media: US plans mass migrant transfer to Guantánamo Bay

The Trump administration is preparing to transfer potentially thousands of foreign nationals residing illegally in the U.S. to the Guantánamo Bay military base in Cuba, starting as soon as this week, according to officials familiar with the plans.

The individuals under consideration come from a broad range of countries, including hundreds from close European allies such as Britain, France, Italy, Germany, Ireland, Belgium, the Netherlands, Lithuania, Poland, Türkiye, and Ukraine, as well as others from regions including Haiti, Caliber.Az reports, citing The Washington Post.

Officials who reviewed documents on the matter, speaking anonymously due to the sensitivity of the issue, revealed that the administration does not plan to inform the home governments of these transfers, including those of close U.S. allies.

Medical screenings are reportedly underway for approximately 9,000 individuals to determine their suitability for transfer to Guantánamo, a facility infamous for its role in detaining suspected terrorists following the September 11 attacks.

The scale of this operation would represent a substantial increase over the several hundred migrants moved to and from the base earlier this year.

A defence official declined to comment directly on the plans, stating, “Ongoing missions at Naval Station Guantánamo remain unchanged, and we do not comment on any speculative future missions.” The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) also declined to comment, and the White House issued no statement.

Documents indicate that “GTMO,” the government acronym for Guantánamo, “is not at capacity.”

This expansion is being driven by the need to alleviate overcrowding in domestic detention facilities, which have been stretched under President Trump’s pledge to carry out the largest deportation of undocumented migrants in American history.

In January, President Trump announced intentions to send as many as 30,000 migrants to the base. Earlier this year, scores of detainees held there were transferred back to facilities in Louisiana, which critics said was due to capacity constraints.

An official document also suggests the DHS intends to “minimise” the length of detainees’ stays at Guantánamo, though the White House may opt for longer-term detention.

The proposed transfers are expected to prompt criticism from allies concerned about the welfare of their citizens at a site long associated with allegations of torture and human rights abuses.

Many of the detainees’ countries of origin have communicated their willingness to repatriate their nationals, but have not acted swiftly enough to satisfy the DHS.

The move comes amid calls from immigration hardliners within Trump’s Cabinet to increase arrests and deportations.

White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller recently pledged to Fox News a goal of at least 3,000 daily arrests by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), while border official Tom Homan similarly advocated for ramped-up enforcement.

Additionally, DHS has requested an expansion of a medium-security detention facility at Guantánamo from 140 to 300 detainees, according to a congressional aide familiar with the matter.

Earlier this year, the base erected a “tent city” with 195 structures designed to house over 3,000 detainees, anticipating a surge that ultimately did not materialise. The tents have since been dismantled, with none having been used.

By Aghakazim Guliyev