Mexico has firmly rejected the United States' plan to transfer Mexican migrants to the Guantánamo Bay detention facility in Cuba. Mexican Foreign Minister Juan Ramon de la Fuente stated that Mexico would prefer to receive these migrants directly, rather than have them sent to the controversial detention camp. This announcement follows White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt's confirmation that the US has commenced transferring migrants, some convicted of crimes, to Guantánamo. The nationalities of the migrants on the initial flights were not specified by Leavitt.

De la Fuente emphasized Mexico's position through a diplomatic note to the US embassy. Leavitt confirmed the transfers were underway, stating that the first flights carrying migrants to Guantánamo had departed. She linked the action to a campaign promise by President Trump, alongside figures like Pete Hegseth and Kristi Noem, to use Guantánamo's capacity to house individuals who have violated immigration laws and committed crimes against US citizens. President Trump has previously stated his intention to expand the detention center's capacity to hold up to 30,000 individuals deemed "criminal illegal aliens." This move has drawn criticism due to Guantánamo's history of alleged human rights abuses and controversial interrogation tactics.

According to Pentagon sources, one flight from Fort Bliss carried approximately a dozen migrants to Guantánamo, with another flight having departed earlier. These migrants will be housed separately from the existing 15 detainees, which include individuals involved in the planning of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. The migrants will be held in the detention facilities originally constructed for post-9/11 detainees.

Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel has publicly condemned the plan, labeling it an act of brutality and criticizing the use of Guantánamo, which Cuba considers illegally occupied territory, to detain migrants.