The dismantling of a majority of tents from the migrant camp at Guantanamo Bay raises questions about the efficacy of the facility, with reports revealing a shift away from the original plans to accommodate 30,000 migrants.
Guantanamo Bay Migrant Camp Significantly Scaled Back, New Satellite Images Reveal
Guantanamo Bay Migrant Camp Significantly Scaled Back, New Satellite Images Reveal
Recent reviews of satellite imagery indicate that the migrant facility at Guantanamo Bay, initially expanded under the Trump administration, has seen a substantial reduction in its tent infrastructure.
Recent satellite imagery analyzed by BBC Verify indicates that the United States has substantially reduced the migrant tent facility at the Guantanamo Bay Naval Base. Initially ordered by President Donald Trump to expand the facility to hold 30,000 migrants shortly after he took office, it reportedly housed only a small number of individuals. Recent Pentagon expenditures related to detention and deportation at Guantanamo netted about $38 million within the first month of the facility’s operations this year.
Images reveal that nearly two-thirds of the approximately 260 tents erected were removed between early April and mid-April. A US defense official noted, "This force adjustment represents a deliberate and efficient use of resources - not a reduction in readiness." The camp, which began construction promptly following Trump's announcement on January 30, showed considerable activity until early March.
In early April, images displayed rows of green and white military tents, but by April 10, many of these structures were already dismantled. By April 16, estimates confirmed that around 175 tents were taken down. It's still unclear how many migrants currently inhabit the facility, but Stephen Miller, deputy chief of staff, asserted to Fox News that the base remains operational and includes a considerable number of "foreign terrorist aliens."
Despite the ambitious announcement for increased capacity, sources suggest the facility is likely supporting a mere 2,500 detainees. Trump previously defined the purpose of the expansion as housing undocumented migrants viewed as serious criminal threats or national security risks.
Initially, it was reported that around 400 migrants were processed through this facility, with a significant number returned to US facilities or deported, including 177 individuals sent to Venezuela in late February. Meanwhile, a recent visit by five Democratic senators to the site underscored their outrage over what they called the costly and wasteful use of military resources, criticizing the administration's approach as undermining due process and imposing excessive financial burdens on taxpayers.
