Trump signs order for thousands of migrants to be sent to Guantanamo Bay

Unexpected announcement came as US President signed into law the Laken Riley Act aimed at migrants accused of violent crimes

President Donald Trump on Wednesday signed an order for the US to prepare to hold tens of thousands of the “worst criminal illegal aliens” at Guantanamo Bay.

The notorious US naval base in Cuba is best known for its high-security prison that houses terrorism suspects, including men accused of planning the September 11, 2001, attacks, but it also has a centre that holds migrants.

"Most people don't even know, but we have 30,000 beds in Guantanamo to detain the worst criminal illegal aliens threatening the American people," Mr Trump said. "So we're going to send them down to Guantanamo."

Guantanamo's Migrant Operations Centre holds those detained at sea, many from Haiti and Cuba. Often they are caught in legal limbo, as Guantanamo operates outside of US federal law.

Mr Trump's border chief Tom Homan said the administration would expand the existing centre at Guantanamo and that the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency would run it. He said the centre would hold the "worst of the worst". It was not immediately clear if those people were already in federal prison.

In a memo, Mr Trump directed the Pentagon and the Department of Homeland Security to "take all appropriate actions to expand the Migrant Operations Centre at Naval Station Guantanamo Bay to full capacity to provide additional detention space for high-priority criminal aliens unlawfully present in the United States".

Mr Trump's comments came as he signed a bill that reinforced his promise to make cracking down on illegal immigration the centre of his administration's goals.

Surrounded by dozens of guests, Mr Trump signed the Laken Riley Act, which allows authorities to detain and possibly deport undocumented immigrants who have been accused – but not convicted – of theft and violent crimes.

It was the first piece of legislation Mr Trump signed since he took office on January 20.

The law is named after a 22-year-old nursing student who was killed in Georgia while out on a run in February 2024. Antonio Ibarra, 26, an undocumented migrant from Venezuela, was found guilty of her murder in November and was sentenced to life in prison without parole.

"She was always the best, she was respected by everybody, even her teachers – they respected her so much. From the time she was in first grade, Laken knew she wanted to spend her time caring for others," Mr Trump said.

The act also allows state attorneys general to sue the federal government for harm caused by immigration policies, which could empower leaders of conservative states to set more anti-immigration rules.

Ibarra had entered the country in September 2022 and was cited for shoplifting, but Immigration and Customs Enforcement did not end up detaining him.

Mr Trump and other Republican leaders blame former president Joe Biden's lax immigration policies on the US-Mexico border for Ms Riley's death.

During his campaign, Mr Trump blamed the influx of migrants, mostly coming from Central and South America, for a rise in crime and lack of jobs. After taking office, he promised to launch "the largest deportation operation" in US history.

The Republican-controlled Congress passed the Laken Riley Act this month, with some support from Democratic politicians, despite criticism from immigrant rights advocates who say the policy will lead to the mass round-up of people accused of minor offences.