Trump Signs Laken Riley Act, Vows to Send ‘Most Dangerous’ Criminal Immigrants to Guantanamo

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President Donald Trump signed the Laken Riley Act into law on Wednesday, expanding federal powers to deport undocumented immigrants accused of crimes. Of particular note, is that during the signing ceremony, he also announced plans to transfer the “most dangerous” criminal immigrants to a detention center in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

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“Some are so dangerous that we don’t trust their home nations to keep them in custody, so we’re going to send them to Guantanamo,” he stated. He directed federal officials to prepare the detention center in Cuba for the arrival of these individuals.

“We have 30,000 beds in Guantanamo to house the worst criminal offenders who pose a threat to Americans,” he added.

The bipartisan legislation is the first enacted in Trump’s second term, and is named after Laken Riley, a 22-year-old nursing student from Georgia who was tragically killed last year by an undocumented Venezuelan national. Riley was jogging in February 2024 when she was murdered by Jose Antonio Ibarra, an undocumented Venezuelan immigrant. Ibarra, convicted in November, received a life sentence without parole.

“She was a beacon of warmth and kindness,” Trump remarked at the event, which was attended by Riley’s family. “What we are doing today is a powerful tribute to her memory. It is deeply unfortunate that such measures are necessary.”

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“Guantanamo Bay has a well-documented history of human rights abuses, and placing migrants there would endanger their physical and mental well-being,” said Stacy Suh, program director for the Detention Watch Network.

Trump defended the decision, arguing that it would significantly expand detention capacity. A senior administration official, speaking anonymously, emphasized that the facility would house individuals deemed “too dangerous to release” and “difficult to deport.”

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth stated that the military could establish the detention center quickly and described Guantanamo as “an ideal location.”

“Illegal criminal aliens should not remain in the U.S. longer than absolutely necessary,” Hegseth said in an interview on Fox News. “They will be securely detained at Guantanamo until they are deported to their countries of origin.”

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem indicated that the administration would seek funding for the initiative through upcoming congressional spending bills.

The U.S. military base at Guantanamo has historically housed detainees from the war on terror. It has also operated a Migrant Operations Center, where individuals intercepted at sea, including many from Haiti and Cuba, have been held.

Riley’s mother, speaking at the signing ceremony, expressed gratitude to Trump. “He promised to secure our borders and honor Laken’s memory, and he has kept his word,” she said tearfully.

Several Republican lawmakers and Democratic Senator John Fetterman, a co-sponsor of the bill, attended the event.

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