Troops deployed to Guantanamo Bay to support migrant detention operations

Over the weekend, soldiers and Marines were dispatched to Naval Station Guantanamo Bay to assist with "holding operations" as part of President Donald Trump's immigration crackdown.

The operation includes plans to use the facility to detain migrants who entered the US illegally.

According to a spokesperson for US Southern Command, speaking to Military.com, 310 service members were stationed at Guantanamo Bay to support the detention mission, per Caliber.Az.

The initial deployment, which began on February 1, saw 170 Marines from the 1st Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, an infantry unit, arriving via military aircraft. Their role included setting up tents, cots, and other necessary logistics to create holding areas for the Department of Homeland Security.

In addition to the Marines, personnel from US Southern Command and US Army South joined the mission, though specific numbers were not provided. The spokesperson noted that the duration of the deployment is uncertain due to the unpredictable nature of mass migration, and the level of military support will evolve as the situation develops.

This deployment is part of the Trump administration's broader efforts to address illegal immigration at the southern border, which the president has described as the largest domestic migrant deportation operation in US history.

Last week, Trump announced that Guantanamo Bay could accommodate up to 30,000 migrants in detention, claiming it would house "the worst criminal aliens threatening the American people." However, neither the White House nor the Pentagon has provided details on which individuals will be detained at Guantanamo or the legal rights they will have. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem confirmed that migrants would receive "due process," but did not provide further clarification, and also refused to rule out the detention of women and children.

The plans to expand the Guantanamo Bay installation remain unclear. Although the base has been used for migrant detentions in the past, it is most widely known for holding suspects related to the 9/11 attacks since 2002.

Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth described Guantanamo Bay as "the perfect place" to house both migrants and "hardened criminals." During his visit to the border, he suggested a maximum-security facility at Guantanamo Bay could accommodate the detainees, though it remains uncertain whether he was referring to the Migrant Operations Center mentioned in Trump's executive order or the existing high-security detention camp still used for terrorist suspects, including the alleged mastermind of the 9/11 attacks.

While the precise number of troops being deployed to the base remains unclear, the Associated Press reported that the Pentagon plans to send up to 500 Marines to Guantanamo Bay, citing unnamed defence officials.

By Tamilla Hasanova