U.S. President Donald Trump has announced a new plan to send deported migrants to Guantanamo Bay. Speaking at an event where he signed the Laken Riley Act into law, Trump stated that his plan would "double our capacity immediately" to detain illegal migrants. He explained that the U.S. has 30,000 beds at Guantanamo Bay and intends to use them for detaining what he called the "worst criminal illegal aliens threatening the American people."

What is Guantanamo Bay?

Guantanamo Bay, often called "Gitmo," is a U.S. military prison located in Cuba. It was established in January 2002 by then-President George W. Bush to hold terrorist suspects and enemy combatants after the 9/11 attacks. Many prisoners detained there were captured during the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. However, over the years, the facility has been widely criticized due to reports of torture and mistreatment of detainees. At its peak, nearly 800 individuals were held at Guantanamo, many of whom were never formally charged with a crime.

Why does the U.S. control Guantanamo Bay?

Guantanamo Bay has been under U.S. control for more than a century. During the Spanish-American War in 1898, the U.S. fought Spain over its colonies, including Cuba. After Spain’s defeat, Cuba became independent in 1902, but as part of the deal, the Cuban government had to lease some land to the U.S. under the Platt Amendment. This led to the creation of the Guantanamo Bay naval base, which the U.S. has maintained ever since.