President Trump To Use Guantanamo Bay To House Illegal Immigrants

Donald Trump said Wednesday he plans to order the Pentagon and Department of Homeland Security to construct a facility for holding up to 30,000 illegal immigrants at Guantanamo Bay.

“We have 30,000 beds in Guantanamo to detain the worst criminal illegal aliens threatening the American people,” Trump said in remarks before signing the Laken Riley Act at the White House, which authorizes the detention of illegal immigrants accused of theft and other crimes.

“Some of them are so bad we don’t even trust the countries to hold them because we don’t want them coming back, so we’re going to send them out to Guantánamo,” Trump added. “This will double our capacity immediately. And tough, it’s a tough place to get out of.”

Currently, the U.S. government has a facility in Guantanamo where some Cuban and Haitian migrants intercepted at sea by the U.S. Coast Guard await the result of their asylum cases.

Since taking office, President Trump has signed multiple executive orders aimed at cracking down on illegal immigration. Trump is following through on his campaign promise to stop unfettered illegal immigration, and to deport illegals, particularly those who have committed violent offenses.

His administration has empowered law enforcement to do their job, with Immigration and Customs Enforcement posting regular updates about how many arrests it carries out on a day-to-basis.