The Trump administration touted in its first weeks in office a plan to take detained migrants to Guantanamo Bay, claiming that facilities there could be used to hold up to 30,000 people.
However, that initiative has so far failed to materialize, and a new report from the New York Times shows that actual figures are far from that goal.
The outlet detailed that about 40 migrants were held at the facility this past weekend, and that current capacity allows for the detention of 225 people at a time, less than 1% of the figure given by the Trump administration. Some of those held there were returned to the U.S. a few days after without explanation.
The figures were given at a visit to the base by members of the House Armed Services Committee. A small dormitory near the base's airport can accommodate 50 people, while the remainder can be held at Camp 6, a Pentagon prison facility that previously housed detainees suspected of terrorism. Construction of a larger tent city, initially intended to expand capacity, was halted after 195 tents were installed. They remain empty.
The tents do not meet Homeland Security health and safety requirements due to a lack of air conditioning and the presence of mold. Security concerns have also delayed their use. A contractor has been hired to make necessary upgrades, but no work has begun, the outlet detailed.
Roughly 270 migrants were flown to Guantánamo from an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility in El Paso. The first 178 arrivals were Venezuelans, nearly all of whom were deported to Honduras by February 20. Another 58 migrants were sent back to the United States, split between detention centers in Texas and Louisiana.
The legal, logistical, and financial obstacles posed by the facility have raised serious doubts inside the Government about its viability. According to a special report by NBC News, officials within the administration increasingly recognize that the proposal is proving impractical with costs being the primary reason cited.
The operation has cost $16 million so far, though it remains unclear if this figure includes chartered flights. Flight costs for migrant transport range from approximately $7,000 to $27,000 per hour, depending on the aircraft. Military cargo planes, including the C-17 and C-130J, have also been used, with estimated hourly costs of $28,000 and $20,000, respectively.
The report also explains that confusion and power struggles between government agencies have exacerbated difficulties, with the military and ICE, which is responsible for detaining immigrants, have clashed over operational control. ICE, already facing a budget shortfall, has struggled to meet increased demands. The Pentagon deployed over 1,100 troops to Guantanamo to assist, but delays in guidance and resource allocation have hindered operations.
Additionally, legal challenges have emerged. On Saturday, civil rights attorneys, led by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), filed a lawsuit against the administration to prevent the transfer of ten individuals from the U.S. to Guantanamo, calling it "a living hell." The ACLU argues that such transfers violate federal law and constitutional due process protections under the Fifth Amendment.
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