Trending Now - US Military Plans Camp at Gitmo for Cubans Fleeing Blockade

WHO:

President Trump, US Marine Corps Gen. Francis Donovan, Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), Adm. Alvin Holsey, Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, Juanita Goebertus (Americas director at Human Rights Watch), Erik Sperling (executive director of Just Foreign Policy), Arturo Dominguez (immigration journalist)

US Southern Command (SOUTHCOM), Department of Homeland Security (DHS)

WHAT:

Gen. Francis Donovan stated that the military will “set up a camp” at Guantánamo Bay to detain Cubans fleeing the humanitarian crisis in Cuba.

Trump signed an executive order in January 2025 directing DHS and the Pentagon to “expand the Migrant Operations Center at Naval Station Guantánamo Bay to full capacity,” which includes scaling the facility to more than 30,000 beds.

A YouGov poll indicated that only 28% of adult US citizens approved of the US blocking oil shipments to Cuba, while 46% opposed it. Additionally, 13% supported military force against Cuba, while 61% opposed it.

WHERE:

Guantánamo Bay, Cuba

Florida Keys, Florida

WHEN:

The Senate Armed Services Committee hearing occurred on March 19th, 2026.

Gen. Donovan took command of SOUTHCOM in February 2026.

Adm. Alvin Holsey resigned in December 2025.

The electricity blackout in Cuba occurred earlier in March 2026.

Trump signed the executive order in January 2025.

WHY:

The humanitarian crisis in Cuba was described as a result of the Trump administration's fuel blockade.

The blockade has led to a lack of reliable access to drinking water, unsafe hospital operations, and scarcity of basic goods in Cuba.

HOW:

SOUTHCOM is prepared to support DHS in a mass migration event, with the military base at Guantánamo Bay designated to hold migrants or overflow from Cuba.

(UPDATED March 20, 2026 23:10 UTC)

In a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on March 19, Gen. Francis Donovan announced plans for the military to establish a camp at Guantánamo Bay to detain Cubans fleeing the ongoing humanitarian crisis in their country. This initiative follows an executive order signed by Trump in January 2025, which directed the expansion of the Migrant Operations Center at Naval Station Guantánamo Bay to accommodate over 30,000 beds. Meanwhile, a recent YouGov poll revealed that only 28% of adult US citizens support blocking oil shipments to Cuba, highlighting the divided opinions on the US response to the situation.