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The Trump administration spent over $21 million transporting migrants to Guantanamo Bay on military aircraft in the early months of 2025, despite the facility holding only a fraction of the promised detainees, according to figures recently provided to Congress.
From January 20 to April 8, the U.S. military conducted 46 flights carrying migrants to the naval base in Cuba as part of Operation Southern Guard, a Department of Homeland Security-led initiative. According to the data submitted to the Senate Armed Services Committee, these flights totaled 802.5 flight hours, costing taxpayers approximately $21,087,300. The average cost per flight hour was calculated at $26,277.
Despite the expense, the base currently houses just 32 migrants, with a total of fewer than 500 ever held since former President Donald Trump announced the controversial program in January. At no point did the number of detainees exceed 200, far short of the 30,000 migrants Trump said would be held at the facility.
Officials acknowledged that many of the individuals flown to Guantanamo were later returned to the U.S., raising further questions about the operation’s purpose and effectiveness.
Democrats sharply criticized the effort, calling it a wasteful political stunt designed to appease Trump’s anti-immigration base rather than address actual security needs.
“Every American should be outraged by Donald Trump wasting military resources to pay for his political stunts that do not make us safer,” said Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee.
“U.S. service members did not sign up for this abuse of power,” she added.
The Pentagon has not publicly commented on the figures, though internal memos reportedly reflect concerns about logistical and legal flaws, as well as interagency disagreements during the operation’s rollout.
In addition to the migrant flights, between January 20 and March 25, the military conducted 31 additional airlift operations transporting 715 personnel and over 1,000 tons of cargo to the base. These contracted flights—used for logistical support, not migrant transfers—cost another $1.67 million, including payments of $660,000 to United Airlines and $500,000 to Omni Air International, a private charter company based in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
A defense official confirmed the U.S. Transportation Command recently ordered an additional weekly flight to Guantanamo, indicating preparations for a possible ramp-up in operations.
However, with only a small number of migrants detained and questions mounting about both the legality and cost of the operation, Democrats are pressing for oversight and accountability.
Operation Southern Guard remains active, but it’s unclear how long it will continue or whether its goals will be redefined amid ongoing scrutiny.
