The Pentagon is reviewing plans to significantly reduce the number of U.S. troops stationed at the Guantanamo Bay naval base in Cuba, where they have been tasked with handling detained migrants. According to officials familiar with the matter, the proposed cuts could slash the current troop presence by as much as half, from 900 to approximately 450 personnel.
The move comes as the migrant detention program at Guantanamo faces legal challenges and a sharp decline in detainees. Since early March, no migrants have been transferred to the base, and the last 40 individuals held there were relocated to Louisiana on March 11. U.S. authorities had transferred at least 290 detainees to Guantanamo since February, but the program has struggled to maintain momentum amid ongoing legal and logistical hurdles.
Military officials at U.S. Southern Command have been directed to present Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth with a plan outlining the necessary troop levels and any additional infrastructure requirements should more detainees be sent to the base in the future. The proposal is expected to recommend sending a significant portion of the current force home, reflecting the reduced need for personnel.
The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the plans are not yet finalized, emphasized that the administration has not ruled out sending future “high-threat” detainees to Guantanamo. However, the lack of current detainees has raised questions about the necessity of maintaining a large military presence at the facility.
Guantanamo Bay is best known for housing foreign nationals linked to the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. However, a separate facility on the base has been used for decades to detain migrants intercepted while attempting to reach the U.S. by sea. The Trump administration expanded the use of the base to include migrants apprehended at the southern border as part of its broader immigration enforcement efforts.
President Donald Trump has repeatedly stated his intention to send “the worst criminal migrants” to Guantanamo. However, civil rights advocates argue that many detainees transferred to the base lack criminal records and that the administration has overstepped its authority, violating U.S. immigration laws.
The potential troop reduction at Guantanamo reflects a broader shift in the administration’s approach to immigration and national security. As the Biden administration continues to grapple with legal and ethical challenges surrounding migrant detention, the future of Guantanamo Bay as a detention facility remains uncertain.
For more political updates and in-depth analysis, visit DC Brief.
