Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said during an interview over the weekend that the Trump administration is focused on initially sending the most dangerous illegal aliens in the U.S. to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba until they can be deported to their countries of origin.
Noem made the remarks during a Sunday interview on CNN’s “State of the Union” following a trip she made to Guantanamo Bay.
She said that she saw illegal aliens — being offloaded from planes at the facility — who had been convicted of murder, rape, child sex crimes, and drug trafficking.
“They will be there until we work with arrangements to take them back to their countries, where they belong, and have consequences dealt with them there,” she said. “So they will be treated much like many other individuals in this country that are those dangerous criminals that don’t belong here.”
DHS @Sec_Noem on how long migrants could be detained at Guantanamo: “They’ll be there until we work with arrangements to take them back to their countries where they belong.” pic.twitter.com/I3Ayr7kNqA
— State of the Union (@CNNSOTU) February 9, 2025
Noem said that those who were being detained had due process and access to legal counsel.
She added that the U.S. was surging resources to the base so that it can be used to hold up to 30,000 illegal aliens.
“If you’re in this country illegally, you should go home,” Noem said. “You should go back to your home country. Don’t wait until we have the opportunity to sweep you up because you have overstayed your orders, you have final removal orders, or you have been committing crimes in our communities.”
.@DanaBashCNN: “Could [migrants charged with nonviolent crimes] end up at Guantanamo?”@Sec_Noem: “You know, I don’t know what the president will decide as far as utilizing it. We want to have the capacity.” pic.twitter.com/ZQEpTZqGPk
— State of the Union (@CNNSOTU) February 9, 2025
