Trump's Guantanamo Migrant Detention Plan Holds Just 6 Detainees

Donald Trump ordered the expansion of Guantanamo Bay's detention capacity to 30,000 beds for migrants facing deportation in January 2025, but over a year later the facility holds just six immigration detainees, all Haitian nationals. The base's actual immigration detention capacity remains roughly 400 beds, with fewer than 2 percent occupied as of May 11, 2026.

The military operation has cost an estimated $73 million, a sharp increase from the initial $40 million projection. Over the past year, 832 detainees were transferred to Guantanamo on more than 100 flights, though most were subsequently moved elsewhere. Government employees outnumber detainees approximately 100 to 1, with 522 Department of Defense personnel and around 60 ICE staff assigned to the mission. Senator Gary Peters noted the operation costs roughly $100,000 per day per detainee at Guantanamo, compared to $165 per day domestically.

The legality of the operation faces mounting challenges. A preliminary federal court ruling described the effort as impermissibly punitive and likely unlawful. Senator Elizabeth Warren accused the administration of wasting taxpayer funds on a cruel immigration agenda, singling out Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth. DHS spokeswoman Lauren Bis defended the policy, stating that those who enter the country illegally could end up at Guantanamo Bay. The Cuban government continues to dispute the legality of the U.S. lease on the base.