In a recent media interview, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth expressed the Defense Department’s commitment to working with other federal agencies to enhance security at the southern border. He highlighted the military’s dedication to protecting the territorial sovereignty of the border, as evidenced by actions taken since President Donald J. Trump’s executive orders. These actions include partnering with the Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Customs and Border Protection, deploying National Guardsmen and active-duty Marines and soldiers to the border, and reinforcing physical barriers at the border.
Hegseth also discussed the potential detention of criminal migrants at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, following President Trump’s announcement of an executive order instructing DOD and DHS to prepare the facility for the detention of 30,000 individuals. He emphasized that the president has made it clear to countries of origin that if they do not cooperate in taking back their criminals, they will be held accountable. Hegseth, who served at Guantanamo Bay during active-duty National Guard deployment from 2004 to 2005, believes the facility is the ideal place to safely detain migrants, without the need for the high level of security used for suspected terrorists during previous military operations.
While Guantanamo Bay is commonly associated with the detention of individuals from terrorist organizations, Hegseth clarified that the facility also houses a U.S. naval station that has been involved in migrant and refugee resettlement for many years. He stressed that the detention of migrants at Guantanamo Bay would not resemble the typical image of the detention facilities associated with terrorists, but rather a temporary transit operation that aligns with the naval station’s existing mission of providing humanitarian assistance. The goal would be to humanely relocate illegal immigrants back to their countries of origin through a proper process.
Hegseth described the Guantanamo operation as a dynamic plan and indicated that DOD is prepared to expand the scope of deportations. He emphasized President Trump’s determination to remove illegal criminals from the country and highlighted the Defense Department’s willingness and pride in partnering with DHS to defend the southern border and advance the mission of protecting national sovereignty. The collaboration between federal agencies and the use of Guantanamo Bay for migrant detention reflect the administration’s strong stance on border security and immigration enforcement, as well as its commitment to upholding the rule of law.
