WASHINGTON — The Trump administration has initiated deportation flights sending undocumented immigrants detained in the U.S. to the military detention facility at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt announced Tuesday, marking a dramatic escalation of President Donald Trump’s hardline immigration agenda.
Leavitt, in an interview with Fox Business Network, confirmed that at least two flights were “under way” to the controversial naval base, though she declined to specify the number of individuals transported or their nationalities. The move follows Trump’s executive order last week authorizing the expansion of Guantánamo’s detention capacity to hold up to 30,000 deportees, a plan he described as critical to addressing what he called “the invasion of illegal criminals” into the U.S.
Expansion of Detention Policy
The flights, first reported by the Wall Street Journal, reportedly carried approximately a dozen individuals from a facility in Fort Bliss, Texas, with another flight departing Monday. CNN later cited sources stating one flight held “nine or 10” people detained for lacking valid immigration documents. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) deferred questions to the Department of Homeland Security, which did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
“President Trump is not messing around,” Leavitt declared, framing the policy as a necessary response to unchecked migration. “He’s no longer going to allow America to be a dumping ground for illegal criminals.”
Trump’s executive order aims to transform Guantánamo—infamous for housing terrorism suspects after 9/11—into a hub for mass deportations. The administration claims the base will detain migrants deemed too dangerous to release, including those from countries unwilling to accept returnees. “Some of them are so bad, we don’t even trust their own countries to hold them,” Trump said last week.
International Cooperation and Legal Concerns
The policy received a boost Monday when El Salvador’s president, Nayib Bukele, announced his country would accept undocumented migrants from any nation—even incarcerated U.S. citizens—following a meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Venezuela and Colombia have also agreed to repatriate their nationals, according to Leavitt.
Rubio hailed El Salvador’s offer as “the most unprecedented and extraordinary migratory agreement anywhere in the world.” However, immigration advocates and legal experts warn that deporting individuals to third countries without their consent may violate international law.
“There are obviously legalities involved. We have a constitution, we have all sorts of things,” Rubio acknowledged cautiously, suggesting the administration expects legal challenges.
Critics Decry Human Rights Implications
Human rights organizations and immigration advocates have condemned the use of Guantánamo—a symbol of post-9/11 detention abuses—for civilian deportees. The facility, which critics have long labeled “America’s gulag,” currently holds about 120 detainees, primarily terrorism suspects, many imprisoned without trial for decades.
“Using Guantánamo to jail migrants is a grotesque distortion of justice,” said Anthony Romero, executive director of the ACLU. “This policy conflates vulnerable people with terrorists, further dehumanizing those seeking refuge.”
The administration’s plan to mobilize military resources for deportations aligns with Trump’s pledge to execute “the largest deportation effort in American history,” targeting 15 million to 20 million undocumented individuals. Yet logistical and ethical hurdles loom: Guantánamo’s infrastructure remains ill-equipped for large-scale civilian detention, and international partners have shown limited appetite for absorbing deportees.
A Global Flashpoint
As the first flights land in Cuba, tensions over immigration policy are flaring globally. While the administration touts cooperation from Central and South American nations, regional leaders face backlash for aligning with Trump’s agenda. Meanwhile, families separated by deportations and advocates brace for a protracted legal battle.
“This isn’t just about immigration enforcement—it’s about normalizing the idea that certain people don’t deserve basic rights,” said Marielena Hincapié, executive director of the National Immigration Law Center. “History will judge this cruelty.”
