Pentagon shocked by Trump's order to house migrants in Guantanamo Bay [View all]

Earlier DU thread: The problem(s) with Trump's new plan for Guantnamo Bay

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Source: Politico

Pentagon shocked by Trump’s order to house migrants in Guantanamo Bay

Defense officials are trying to figure out how to hold thousands of people on an aging military base with minimal staff.

By Paul McLeary, Jack Detsch and Myah Ward
01/31/2025 10:00 AM EST

President Donald Trump’s plan to use Guantanamo Bay to detain migrants thrusts the Pentagon into a challenging, costly new effort just as officials vow to refocus the military on its core mission.

The recent executive order to move thousands of noncitizens to an aging military base in Cuba came as a shock to the Pentagon. Officials are now rushing to come up with a plan to house up to 30,000 people, far more than the 780 detainees who stayed in a detention camp on the base during the peak of the war on terror.

Defense Department officials are discussing using tents, although they face the challenge of tropical weather, limited staff and access to medical treatments for migrants. And they’re attempting to balance resources and finances with another Trump order that troops head to the southern border to enhance security.


“Things are moving as we speak,” said one defense official, who was granted anonymity to discuss a rapidly evolving issue.

The official, like others, was caught flatfooted ...

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Read more: https://www.politico.com/news/2025/01/31/trump-guantanamo-bay-migrants-pentagon-00201715