Guantánamo Immigration Plan: One Year On, Just 6 Detainees Held

Despite a $70 million military price tag and plans for 30,000 beds, the facility holds only six detainees — and a federal judge has called the operation "likely unlawful."

Key Details

As of May 11, six Haitian nationals were detained at Guantánamo Bay Naval Base — a tiny fraction of the capacity the Trump administration initially promised.

Over the past year, 832 immigration detainees have been transferred to the base on more than 100 flights. However, the vast majority have been moved elsewhere, leaving the facility nearly empty.

Government employees outnumber detainees by roughly 100 to 1. The operation involves 522 Department of Defense personnel and about 60 ICE and non-military staff assigned to the base.

The operation is now expected to cost $73 million for the military, up from an earlier estimate of $40 million.

Capacity at Guantánamo is limited to about 400 beds, yet on May 11, less than 2% were occupied.

The Trump administration initially stated it would set up 30,000 detention beds at Guantánamo.

Background

The administration began sending immigration detainees to Guantánamo in February 2025. Officials have housed "low-risk" detainees at the Migration Operations Center and "high-risk" detainees at Camp VI, part of the post-9/11 prison complex.

Legal Challenges

A federal judge in Washington, D.C., issued a preliminary ruling in December finding the detention effort "impermissibly punitive" and likely unlawful — but did not block the operation.

Reactions

Senator Elizabeth Warren accused President Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth of "wasting billions in taxpayer funds on a cruel immigration agenda."

DHS spokeswoman Lauren Bis defended the policy, stating: "If you come to our country illegally and break our laws, you could end up in Guantánamo Bay, CECOT, or a third country."

Former DHS official Theresa Cardinal Brown said the operation's deterrence effect is difficult to measure, and noted the logistical expense of shipping supplies to the remote base.

ACLU lawyer Lee Gelernt called the use of Guantánamo "political theater" and said it serves no legitimate policy goal.

The bottom line: One year, 100 flights, $73 million — and just six detainees remain.