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- Guantanamo could be used to hold up to 30,000 migrants (newsbreak.com)
Guantanamo Bay Naval Base in Cuba could house up to 30,000 migrants awaiting deportation, according to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. Hegseth called the base a “perfect place” for this purpose.
President Trump recently signed a memo directing the Defense and Homeland Security departments to prepare the base. This follows Trump’s earlier statements about potentially housing thousands of migrants described as high-priority criminal aliens.
Hegseth, who previously served at Guantanamo’s detention facility, clarified that the migrant housing would be separate from the area used for enemy combatants. He emphasized the base’s existing mission of providing for migrants, refugees, and resettlement.
Military aircraft have recently been used to deport migrants, supplementing Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) chartered flights. Securing agreements with other countries to accept their citizens can slow down the deportation process.
Hegseth suggested Guantanamo as a safe, temporary holding place while paperwork and other processes are completed. He stated the base is “meant and built for migrants.”
He even proposed using the base’s golf course to house up to 6,000 people. Hegseth framed these plans as part of a larger effort to increase deportations, emphasizing President Trump’s commitment to removing illegal criminals from the country. He added that the Department of Defense is proud to partner with the Department of Homeland Security in this mission.
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- Guantanamo could be used to hold up to 30,000 migrants (newsbreak.com)