US President Donald Trump announced on Wednesday that he will direct the Pentagon and the Department of Homeland Security to expand a migrant detention facility at Guantanamo Bay, preparing it to hold up to 30,000 migrants. The U.S. naval base in Cuba already has a separate migrant facility, apart from the high-security prison for terrorism suspects, which has been intermittently used for decades to detain migrants, including Haitians and Cubans intercepted at sea.

Trump’s border czar, Tom Homan, later clarified that the administration would enlarge the existing facility, with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) overseeing its operation. Speaking from the White House, Trump stated that the facility would house “the worst criminal illegal aliens” who pose a threat to Americans. He emphasized that some individuals are considered too dangerous to return to their home countries, necessitating their transfer to Guantanamo.

Following his remarks, Trump signed a memorandum instructing federal agencies to expand detention capacity, though it did not specify a precise number of detainees. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem noted that funding discussions were ongoing with congressional appropriators.

The plan has sparked criticism, with Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel denouncing it as “an act of brutality.” Human rights groups and refugee advocates have long called for the closure of the Guantanamo migrant facility, citing reports of poor conditions, lack of educational services for children, and inadequate access to legal representation.

This decision follows the U.S. military’s recent move to permit ICE to detain migrants at Buckley Space Force Base in Colorado, along with ongoing military-led deportation flights and the deployment of active-duty troops to the U.S.-Mexico border under Trump’s immigration emergency declaration last week.