Senate Report Slams $100 Million Guantánamo Migrant Operation
Senator Richard J. Durbin released a report criticizing the Trump administration's migrant detention operations at Guantánamo Bay as unlawful, inhumane, and costly to taxpayers.
A report released Friday by Senate staff members led by Richard J. Durbin criticizes the Trump administration's migrant detention operations at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba. The study reveals the operation has cost taxpayers over $100 million, with an average cost of $118,000 per detainee for the 850 migrants held there since February 2025.
Findings from an August inspection showed 445 government employees, mostly U.S. military members, assigned to the site even when zero detainees were present. The report identifies a lack of joint standard operating procedures between the U.S. military and Immigration and Customs Enforcement, as well as inadequate facilities for confidential legal counsel. Senator Durbin characterized the offshore operation as "simply unlawful, and worse yet, inhumane."
These findings come ahead of a federal court hearing in Washington regarding a legal challenge to the operation's lawfulness filed by the American Civil Liberties Union.
