Trump's First 100 Days: Gitmo Played Early Role in Deportations Before El Salvador Deal

America’s most notorious federal prison, a terrorist detention facility at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, took center stage for a short period in the early days of President Donald Trump’s initial 100 days in office, when the administration began sending some of the "worst of the worst" criminal illegal aliens there.

Also called "Gitmo," Guantánamo encompasses a 45-square-mile high-security area. naval base in Cuba and harbors some of America’s deadliest adversaries, such as the al-Qaeda terrorists behind the September 11 terrorist strikes.

One of the initial actions during his second term, Trump approved the holding of undocumented immigrants at the facility immediately following his inauguration on January 20th.

Trump directed the Pentagon to prepare 30,000 beds At the base to accommodate "criminal illegal immigrants" who pose a danger to the general U.S. population, stating that placing them there would guarantee their non-return.

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At the time, Trump justified his decision by stating that certain criminal immigrants were "so dangerous that we can't rely on their home countries to keep them contained, as we don’t want them returning here, so instead, they will be sent to Guantánamo Bay."

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The president stated that this action would put the U.S. another step nearer to completely eliminating the issue of migrant-related crimes in neighborhoods, once and for all.

Then, shortly after the State Department The administration labeled 10 migrant groups—including the El Salvador-based MS-13, Venezuela’s Tren de Aragua, along with multiple Mexican cartels—as “foreign terrorist organizations.” Following this declaration, they started routing migrants through Guantanamo Bay, with hundreds being processed at the facility.

Included among those dispatched to the base were multiple individuals labeled as "high-threat" unlawful members. Tren de Aragua This refers to an international terror organization and crime syndicate associated with Venezuela’s socialist leader, Nicolás Maduro. Known as “Tren de Aragua” or simply “TdA,” this group operates extensively across numerous significant urban centers in America. They have been implicated in prominent crimes such as the killing of Georgia nursing student Laken Riley and the takeover of a complete block of apartments in Aurora, Colorado.

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The Department of Defense indicated that the migrants who committed crimes and were transferred to Gitmo were placed in empty detention centers, with this setup intended to be only a short-term solution "until they can be moved to their home countries or another suitable location."

Highlighting how crucial Guantánamo was deemed by the administration, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth He made Guantanamo Bay his initial naval facility to tour as secretary. In a social media update, Hegseth referred to Guantanamo as "the frontline in the battle for America’s southern border."

Regarding the personnel at Gitmo, Hegseth stated, "These soldiers are actively involved in capturing and expelling dangerous unlawful immigrants."

Nevertheless, the administration quickly started encountering obstacles, which made it challenging to increase the naval base’s capacity to house the 30,000 beds that Trump desired.

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In early March, Fox News Digital revealed that None of the 195 tents The setup at Guantánamo Bay has been utilized to accommodate migrants. Two U.S. defense officials, who have knowledge of the situation, stated that this change occurred because the tents did not comply with ICE regulations.

Officials stated that the U.S. military was instructed to erect the tents with ambiguous directives regarding the criteria for accommodating migrants. It appears that the military did not receive explicit instructions on the requirements needed for certifying these tents to house migrants properly. The initiative to construct additional tents ceased in February, only a few weeks following its commencement.

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Even so, a group of Republican congressmen, with House Armed Services Committee Chairman Mike Rogers at the helm, toured Guantanamo Bay roughly when these issues came to light.

Following the visit, Republican Representative Abe Hamadez from Arizona informed Fox News Digital that “it is evident Guantánamo Bay is functional and prepared to carry out these deportations.”

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On March 14, Fox News Digital reported that the 40 remaining unauthorized immigrants detained at Guantánamo Bay were still being returned to the United States to be held in Louisiana. Of those returned to U.S. soil, 23 were "high-threat illegal aliens."

It remains uncertain if the U.S. will once more detain migrants at Guantánamo. The White House representatives and those from DHS did not reply to Fox News Digital’s inquiries before the publication deadline.

Meanwhile, the U.S. has begun partnering with the government of Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele to send illegal gang members to El Salvador’s "Terrorist Confinement Center" (CECOT). The U.S. has sent several hundred Salvadoran and Venezuelan migrants to CECOT.

Cameron Arcand, Michael Dorgan, Liz Friden, Jennifer Griffin, and Louis Casiano from Fox News Digital contributed to this report.

Original article source: Trump's Initial 100 Days: Guantanamo Played Early Part in Deportations Before El Salvador Prison Agreement