"Today, I'm also signing an executive order to instruct the Departments of Defense and Homeland Security to begin preparing the 30,000-person migrant facility at Guantánamo Bay," Trump said before signing the Laken Riley Act, a federal immigration bill aimed at undocumented immigrants charged with crimes. "Most people don't even know about it. We have 30,000 beds in Guantánamo to detain the worst criminal illegal aliens threatening the American people."
Although Guantánamo is known for its prison camp for terrorist suspects following the September 11 terrorist attacks, the base also has a Migrant Operations Center, which has previously housed Haitian and Cuban migrants intercepted at sea.
Trump's executive order instructs federal officials to expand the operations center to full capacity to detain "the worst of the worst."
"This memorandum is issued in order to halt the border invasion, dismantle criminal cartels, and restore national sovereignty," Trump's memo reads.
Following Trump's surprising announcement, some Floridian politicians celebrated the move to detain immigrants at the naval base.
On X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, Gov. Ron DeSantis wrote that he would be "happy to send flights from Florida down that way with deportees in tow."
Coincidentally, just two days before Trump unveiled his plans, DeSantis held a closed call with his supporters in which he discussed expanding his migrant flights to outside the U.S., namely Guantánamo.Happy to send flights from Florida down that way with deportees in tow…. https://t.co/GZNjU1m9oI
— Ron DeSantis (@GovRonDeSantis) January 29, 2025
"We want to expand that to be able to send them outside of the country or parts outside the continental United States," Desantis said. "So, for example, I think you're going to end up being able to send illegals to GITMO. I think they're going to have a processing station there, so we would be able to if someone comes to Florida illegally, we could then pick up with our state law enforcement, local, and send to GITMO."
U.S. Rep. Anna Paulina Luna of District 13, which covers parts of Clearwater and St. Petersburg, applauded newly confirmed U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth.
"Many of the illegals that will temp at GITMO are cartel members with terrorist ties," she wrote on X. "@PeteHegseth is a spot on with this."
Miami Congresswoman María Elvira Salazar, who just last week wrote a letter urging the Trump administration not to deport Cuban, Nicaraguan, Venezuelan, and Haitian migrants who were allowed to enter the country under a humanitarian parole program, was enthused with the Guantánamo Bay plans.Many of the illegals that will be temp at GITMO are cartel members with terrorist ties. @PeteHegseth is a spot on with this. https://t.co/zeid3c2wzb
— Anna Paulina Luna (@realannapaulina) January 30, 2025
"Guantánamo Bay is a GREAT place for violent criminals...great idea! 🇺🇸," Salazar chimed in.
Guantanamo Bay is a GREAT place for violent criminals… great idea! 🇺🇸 https://t.co/ZueS9FkGPN
— Rep. María Elvira Salazar (@RepMariaSalazar) January 29, 2025
