A controversial Trump administration proposal to detain migrants at the U.S. military prison in Guantanamo Bay could cost up to $100,000 per person per day, according to Democratic Senator Dick Durbin, who has sharply criticized the idea as both inhumane and fiscally irresponsible.
The proposal, which reportedly involves the use of the Guantanamo Bay Naval Base in Cuba as a detention center for non-citizen migrants apprehended at sea or under extraordinary circumstances, has raised alarm among human rights groups and lawmakers. Senator Durbin, chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, disclosed the estimated cost during a hearing on immigration enforcement, calling the plan “a humanitarian and budgetary disaster.”
“Taxpayers would be footing the bill for a detention scheme that violates our values and wastes public money,” Durbin said. “We should be fixing our immigration system—not reviving Cold War-era tactics.”
The Biden administration had largely phased out discussions around Guantanamo detentions, but under President Donald Trump’s renewed term, officials are reportedly reconsidering the facility for use in extraordinary immigration enforcement measures, particularly involving mass maritime apprehensions or future surges in undocumented migration.
Homeland Security officials have not confirmed an official plan to reopen Guantanamo for migrant detention, but internal memos cited by Reuters suggest the site is being evaluated for “contingency operations involving high-risk non-citizens,” especially those deemed national security threats or coming from countries without repatriation agreements.
Republican supporters of the plan argue that Guantanamo offers a secure, isolated location for holding individuals who may pose a security risk, without overwhelming U.S. immigration facilities. “It’s about safety and capacity,” said Senator Tom Cotton (R-AR), a longtime advocate of tough immigration policies. “If these individuals can’t be deported immediately, we need secure options.”
But critics counter that using Guantanamo sets a dangerous precedent and could violate international legal norms. The facility has long been associated with indefinite detention and torture allegations from the post-9/11 era. Detaining migrants there—even temporarily—would, according to opponents, effectively criminalize asylum seekers and bypass legal protections guaranteed under U.S. and international law.
Human rights groups condemned the report. “Detaining migrants in Guantanamo would be a dark chapter in American history revisited,” said Clara Long, director of Human Rights Watch’s U.S. program. “This is not about enforcement—it’s about fear and exclusion.”
The cost estimate of $100,000 per day per detainee is based on past Pentagon data and includes operational, logistical, legal, and medical support expenses. For comparison, average daily costs of housing a migrant in standard ICE detention in the continental U.S. are about $150 to $300, according to DHS.
In light of the backlash, some Senate Democrats are preparing legislation to block the use of Guantanamo for immigration purposes. “We need guardrails to ensure this administration doesn’t overstep,” said Senator Alex Padilla (D-CA).
The White House has not officially commented on the reports, but sources say the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Defense are conducting joint assessments of “offshore processing capacity” as part of broader efforts to expand immigration detention options under Trump’s agenda.
As immigration remains a polarizing issue ahead of the 2026 midterms, the revival of Guantanamo Bay as a detention site could become a flashpoint in the ongoing battle over the future of U.S. immigration enforcement. For now, the debate underscores the deep divide in Washington over how to balance security, human rights, and cost in addressing one of the country’s most persistent challenges.
Source: Reuters
