(NewsNation) — The first U.S. military flight deporting migrants from the United States to Guantanamo Bay has landed in Cuba. Ten migrants with suspected gang ties were transferred to the facility, which was previously used to detain suspected al-Qaida members.
This marks the beginning of an expected surge in the number of migrants sent to the naval base, which will now house what officials have deemed “the worst of the worst” criminal offenders.
The migrants were flown Tuesday from El Paso, Texas, to Guantanamo on an Air Force C-17 plane.
Troops creating “tent camp” for dangerous migrants
U.S. forces are preparing a “tent camp” for the group, as the Defense Department deems them “too dangerous” for the regular migrant site.
There are opposing views on the move. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who was assigned to Guantanamo Bay when he was on active duty, calls the location a “perfect place to house migrants.”
Amnesty International has decried the transfer, calling this a “profoundly cruel, costly move” that will cut people off from lawyers, family and support systems.
Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt called the men “high-threat individuals” to justify their relocation.
The Venezuelans are currently held in a 200-cell, medium-security facility called “Camp 6,” separate from the new migrant tent camps being constructed.
The Pentagon confirmed that the migrants had been in Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody before their transfer.
How many migrants are expected to be held at the facility?
President Donald Trump ordered preparations to house up to 30,000 migrants at Guantanamo.
The majority of migrants will likely be housed on the western side of the bay, about seven miles from the prison for terrorism suspects.
U.S. troops are setting up tents at the new site, though no completion date has been given.
ICE will oversee most migrants, while the Department of Defense will guard the 10 high-risk detainees.
It remains unclear how long the migrants will stay at Guantanamo. Officials said Wednesday that the migrants would be sent to their home country or another “appropriate destination.”