The Trump administration has hit a wall. But the President believes he’s found a way out.
Because Trump has invoked executive emergency powers for this brand new deportation effort.
Trump Prepares to Use Guantánamo Bay for Mass Deportations Under Wartime Powers
The U.S. Naval Station at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, recently saw its detention facilities cleared of illegal immigrants. However, according to a new report, the base is poised to become a bustling hub once again as President Donald Trump gears up to invoke wartime powers to accelerate the deportation of dangerous aliens.
A source with knowledge of the administration’s intentions, speaking anonymously due to a lack of authorization to discuss the matter with the press, revealed to reporters that Trump plans to activate the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 as early as Friday. This historic legislation would empower the president to detain and deport illegal aliens deemed a threat, with a particular focus on combating the violent Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua and other criminal elements. The source indicated that Guantánamo Bay would serve as a key detention site for these individuals.
Neither the Department of Homeland Security nor Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) provided comments when approached by reporters on Thursday, leaving the administration’s plans unconfirmed by official channels.
This development follows a visit to Guantánamo Bay earlier this week by Rep. Abe Hamadeh, R-Ariz., who shared insights about the operation. Hamadeh noted that the first group of illegal aliens transported to the facility were already being deported back to their home countries. He described how the base has been reconfigured to accommodate varying levels of detainees: “So it’s a slow start right now, because when I was there, they had about 20 of the high threat illegal immigrants, and then they had about 70 of the low level threats. But, they’re just getting started and ramping up. But I was assured that they’re going to be successful in this mission.”
The facility now features prison-like structures for more dangerous detainees, while those considered non-violent are housed in tent-like accommodations. Hamadeh emphasized the administration’s intent to scale up operations, with plans to eventually detain as many as 30,000 illegal immigrants at the base, given that ICE facilities are currently stretched to their limits.
The Alien Enemies Act, enacted over two centuries ago, grants the president sweeping authority to expel illegal aliens during times of hostile invasion. However, its invocation is expected to spark legal battles. On Wednesday, The Washington Post reported that advocacy groups, including the American Civil Liberties Union and the Center for Constitutional Rights, have already launched lawsuits to prevent the transfer of 13 migrants in U.S. custody to Guantánamo Bay.
President Trump is planning to invoke a wartime law known as the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 as soon as Friday to authorize the summary deportation of some migrants, including to Guantanamo Bay, @camiloreports reports. Trump is expected to cite the statute to order the swift… pic.twitter.com/MNLCu5a4nF
— CBS News (@CBSNews) March 13, 2025
In preparation for this initiative, the Trump administration recently emptied Guantánamo’s detention facilities, relocating approximately 40 detainees to a facility in Louisiana. A defense official confirmed that no immigrants are currently held at the naval station, a move that briefly fueled speculation that the base’s role in immigration enforcement might be winding down. However, these actions now appear to be a prelude to a larger operation.
Critics have pointed to the logistical challenges of using Guantánamo Bay for deportations, citing the high costs of military flights and the complexities of managing such a remote location. Originally designed to hold aliens classified as particularly dangerous, the base is now being repurposed to support Trump’s aggressive immigration agenda.
Central to this effort is the administration’s focus on Tren de Aragua, a Venezuelan prison gang notorious for its brutality. Trump has designated the gang, along with several other Latin American gangs and drug cartels, as foreign terrorist organizations.
Tren de Aragua has exploited lax border security to establish a foothold in the United States, first appearing on the radar of Border Patrol agents in El Paso, Texas. Since then, its influence has spread nationwide, with ties to over 500 arrests in New York City, neighborhood unrest in Denver, and multiple m*rders across the country. The gang’s activities also extend to human trafficking and drug smuggling.
Trump’s interest in leveraging Guantánamo Bay for immigration enforcement dates back to the early days of his presidency. Just five days after his inauguration, he signed an executive order instructing the Secretaries of Defense and Homeland Security to expand the Migrant Operations Center at the base, framing it as a response to what he called a “border invasion.” Since then, the administration has been enhancing the facilities to house dangerous aliens, including gang members and those accused of serious crimes.
Hamadeh elaborated on the dual-purpose setup at Guantánamo: “There’s two locations where we’re housing illegal immigrants down there. So one of them is the higher threat illegal immigrants that you know, these are the ones who have committed more serious felonies, that they’ve been put in a prison facility that’s similar to what people think of a Guantánamo Bay. The other one is for low level offenses, typically, and that one’s a more tent style, and they want to ramp it up to eventually have 30,000 illegal immigrants there, because ICE is at capacity, pretty much right now.”
As the administration moves forward, the use of Guantánamo Bay and the Alien Enemies Act signals a dramatic escalation in Trump’s immigration crackdown. While the strategy aims to target groups like Tren de Aragua, its success may hinge on overcoming legal opposition and logistical hurdles in the months ahead.
The Alien Enemies Act dates all the way back to 1798, with the law intended to allow the U.S. President to deport any enemies of the United States without any hearing at all. The law has been used extensively over the years, particularly during the Civil War, both world wars, and during the Korean and Vietnamese wars.
Stay tuned to the DC Daily Journal.
