President Donald Trump on Wednesday signed the Laken Riley Act into law, granting federal authorities expanded powers to detain and deport immigrants in the U.S. illegally who have been charged with crimes. At the signing ceremony, Trump announced a separate plan to use the Guantanamo Bay detention facility to house up to 30,000 "high-priority criminal aliens."
The bill, named after 22-year-old Georgia nursing student Laken Riley, who was killed last year by a Venezuelan immigrant in the U.S. illegally, marks the first piece of legislation signed into law during Trump's second term. "She was a light of warmth and kindness," Trump said, standing alongside Riley's parents and sister. "It's a tremendous tribute to your daughter what's taking place today, that's all I can say. It's so sad we have to be doing it."
Trump used the event to reiterate his campaign promise to dramatically increase deportations, citing the Riley case as justification for tougher immigration policies. He stated that while many of those arrested would be sent back to their home countries, others would be detained at Guantanamo Bay. "Some of them are so bad that we don't even trust the countries to hold them because we don't want them coming back," Trump said. "So we're gonna send 'em out to Guantanamo."
The White House confirmed shortly after the signing that Trump had issued a presidential memorandum directing the Defense Department and Department of Homeland Security to prepare the U.S. Naval base in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, for use as a detention site for migrants. Trump claimed the facility had 30,000 beds available, saying the move would "double U.S. detention lockup capacities" and provide a secure location to house individuals deemed dangerous or difficult to deport.
The announcement drew swift condemnation from migrant rights advocates. "Guantanamo Bay's abusive history speaks for itself and in no uncertain terms will put people's physical and mental health in jeopardy," said Stacy Suh, program director of Detention Watch Network.
Trump administration officials defended the plan, arguing that Guantanamo was an ideal location to process large numbers of deportees. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem stated that funding for the expansion would be sought in upcoming congressional spending bills. Tom Homan, Trump's newly appointed border czar, said U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement would oversee the detention center, calling it a necessary step to deal with the "worst of the worst."
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth elaborated on the administration's vision for Guantanamo during a Fox News interview, calling it a "perfect place" to detain migrants while they await deportation. He emphasized that deportation flights, including those operated by U.S. military aircraft, have faced delays due to diplomatic negotiations with foreign governments. "We want somewhere else to hold them safely in the interim," Hegseth said. "Guantanamo Bay is meant and built for migrants... It's better they be held at a safe location like Guantanamo Bay as they are processed properly."
Hegseth noted that the base had long housed migrants through its Migrant Operations Center, historically used to detain individuals from Cuba and Haiti. He also suggested that additional facilities could be built on the base, including temporary structures on the site's golf course, to accommodate thousands of detainees. "We can plus up thousands and tens of thousands, if necessary, to humanely move illegals out of our country where they do not belong," he said.
The use of Guantanamo for migrant detention is not unprecedented. The facility has housed migrants intercepted at sea for decades, but it is best known for its role in the U.S. war on terror, where detainees have been held indefinitely without trial. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in 2008 that those classified as enemy combatants had the right to challenge their detention in federal court, but it has never ruled on the legality of holding immigrants at the site.
The move has already sparked international criticism. Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel called Trump's plan "an act of brutality," while Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez wrote on X that the decision "shows contempt for the human condition and international law." The Cuban government has long opposed the U.S. lease of Guantanamo Bay, which it considers an illegal occupation, and has refused to accept the nominal rent payments sent annually by Washington.
The Laken Riley Act itself passed swiftly through the newly Republican-controlled Congress with some bipartisan support, despite concerns raised by immigrant rights groups. The law mandates that federal officials detain any undocumented immigrant charged with certain crimes, including theft or assaulting a police officer. It also allows state attorneys general to sue the federal government over immigration decisions, a provision that could allow conservative-led states to exert influence over national policy.
