The U.S. military is weighing plans to significantly scale back troop deployments at the Guantanamo Bay naval base in Cuba, potentially cutting the current force of 900 troops by half.

This development comes as the base currently holds no migrant detainees and the broader detention program faces ongoing legal and operational challenges, The Associated Press has learned.

According to U.S. officials, the Department of War’s Southern Command has been tasked with drafting a revised staffing plan for Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.

The goal is to determine how many troops are truly necessary for the operation, especially considering the recent lull in detainee transfers.

One official noted that the forthcoming recommendations may result in sending home nearly half of the military personnel currently stationed at the base.

“There have been no migrants transferred to the base since early March,” one official said, speaking on condition of anonymity because the plans are not yet finalized.

While no detainees are being held at Guantanamo at the moment, the Biden administration has indicated that the facility may still be used for future “high-threat” detainees.

Since February, at least 290 migrants had been transferred to Guantanamo Bay, but the final group of 40 detainees was flown off the base to Louisiana on March 11.

This marked a pause in the facility’s use for migrant detention, though military leaders have maintained readiness for future transfers.

The Guantanamo Bay facility, long associated with housing foreign terror suspects linked to the September 11 attacks, also includes a separate compound that has been used for decades to detain migrants intercepted at sea.

Under the Trump administration, this facility’s use expanded as part of broader efforts to strengthen immigration enforcement and border security.

Former President Donald Trump had pledged to send the most dangerous criminal migrants to Guantanamo Bay.

However, civil rights attorneys argue that many of those sent there had no criminal record and were being detained unlawfully.

“The administration has exceeded its authority in violation of U.S. immigration law,” said one attorney involved in litigation challenging the detentions.

A federal judge recently dismissed a case brought by immigration and civil rights groups, but the ruling was based largely on the fact that no detainees are currently being held at Guantanamo.

“The judge indicated a willingness to revisit the issue if and when the government sends more detainees,” an official said.

In the meantime, the 900 troops stationed at the base — comprising roughly 500 Army soldiers, nearly 300 Marines, and dozens of Navy and Air Force personnel — remain largely idle.

Officials said many are awaiting reassignment or deactivation as Southern Command finalizes its revised staffing blueprint.

While the current troop reduction plans would shrink the active presence at Guantanamo, around 800 additional U.S.-based soldiers remain on prepare-to-deploy orders.

This reserve force can be activated quickly if the need to restart detainee operations arises.

Civil rights advocates continue to monitor the situation closely.

Earlier this month, attorneys sued to block the transfer of 10 migrants to Guantanamo, citing troubling accounts from former detainees. One man described the conditions as “a living hell.”

As of now, no new detainee transfers have been announced.

Still, the judge overseeing the case made clear that the government must notify the court of any future activity, though he declined to set a specific timeline.

The future of Guantanamo’s migrant detention operations remains uncertain — but for now, fewer troops may soon be returning home.