The daily cost of detaining migrants at Guantanamo Bay is $100,000 per individual.

Guantanamo Bay’s High Immigration Costs Criticized by Senator

In a recent hearing, Senator Gary Peters criticized President Donald Trump’s recent approach regarding Guantanamo Bay Navy Base as a detention site for immigrants, stating it could cost an astonishing $100,000 daily per detainee. Peters, who serves on the Senate’s Committee on Homeland Security and Government Affairs, highlighted the excessive nature of this spending during a discussion with Homeland Security Secretary Christa Noem regarding the high costs associated with US immigration detention facilities, which currently stand at over $165 each day.

Peters questioned why detainees were being relocated to a Navy Base in Cuba only to later return to the US at taxpayer expense. “We spend $100,000 a day trying to keep someone up at Guantanamo,” he remarked. “It’s possible to keep them here in the US for much less.” His frustrations reflect a broader concern about fiscal responsibility in immigration management.

The White House has proposed a substantial boost in funding for immigration enforcement, aiming to achieve Trump’s aggressive deportation targets. This month, the administration requested an additional $44 billion from Congress for the Department of Homeland Security for the fiscal year starting October 1st.

Noem, present at the hearing to address budgetary queries, expressed her lack of awareness about the daily costs associated with housing immigrants at Guantanamo Bay. The Department of Homeland Security did not provide immediate comments on this matter.

A US official, who preferred to remain unnamed, indicated that approximately 70 immigrants are currently held at the facility.

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has taken legal action to prevent the relocation of ten immigrants to the base. Their lawsuit contends that individuals at Guantanamo are subjected to inhumane conditions, including being confined in windowless rooms for 23 hours daily, invasive strip searches, and restricted communication with family members. The ACLU also reported instances of suicide attempts among these detainees.

Senator Rand Paul, the Republican chairman of the committee, expressed concerns regarding expenditures on additional barriers at the US-Mexico border, noting a significant decrease in the number of illegal crossings since Trump assumed office. The proposed budget by the US House of Representatives allocates $46.5 billion exclusively for border wall construction.