A Senate staff report found the Trump administration's migrant detention operation at Guantánamo Bay cost over $100 million with 445 government employees and zero detainees during an August inspection. President Trump ordered the operation to hold migrants designated for deportation, but only about 850 migrants have been held there since February 2025, at a cost of $118,000 per detainee. The facility, originally built for Al Qaeda and Taliban suspects, now holds up to 350 migrants but remains largely empty.
Senator Richard J. Durbin criticized the operation as "simply unlawful, and worse yet, inhumane," citing heavy reliance on military personnel for ICE-run operations and lack of legal call access for detainees. The report also highlighted wasteful spending, including $2.85 million spent on tents that never met federal standards and were later dismantled.
ICE previously maintained an empty 100-bed facility for asylum seekers at the base, raising questions about the necessity and legality of the offshore detention program.
Source: New York Times Top Stories · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing