'Nobody knows what's going on': Major Trump initiative off to chaotic start

One of president Donald Trump's signature initiatives is off to a chaotic start as various agencies scramble to set up facilities to house thousands of migrants picked up for deportation.

Officials at the Department of Homeland Security and the Defense Department are working to set up tent facilities at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, to hold migrants as part of the Republican president's mass deportation campaign, and while the two departments have worked together on border security missions before, sources told CNN this operation has been beset by confusion.

“Nobody really knows what’s going on, between DOD, ICE, and CBP," said one source with knowledge of the planning. "We’ve got everybody pointing fingers, saying, ‘They’re in charge,’ ‘They’re paying for this,’ ‘They’re providing security' – no one actually knows."

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The administration started transporting migrants to Guantanamo on military aircraft, setting off backlash over their lack of access to legal representation, and the operation involves multiple federal agencies, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection, in addition to DHS and DOD.

“There should have been a greater degree of planning before the execution. Now execution has begun, and everyone is trying to back into planning,” said another source with knowledge of the situation. “Everybody is fighting for command and control and direction."

So far, there have been seven military flights transferring 98 migrants taken to the U.S. naval base, but it's not clear how the administration is selecting migrants to be taken there, although a source told CNN they have all been men described as having "criminality," which appears to have a broad definition.

“In addition to holding violent gang members and other high-threat illegal aliens, Guantanamo Bay is also holding other illegal aliens with final deportation orders," said a senior DHS official in a statement. "Every single alien at Guantanamo Bay has a final deportation order."

"All these individuals committed a crime by entering the United States illegally," that official added.

Homeland security secretary Kristi Noem told CNN's Dana Bash that she did not envision anyone remaining at the base for "weeks and months," but sources with knowledge of the process told CNN there's no clear plan for detainees once they arrive at the facility.

“Nobody has talked about timeframes,” one source said.

The tent structures are being set up to house 30,000 people, with more than 700 military personnel supporting efforts at Guantanamo, but it's not clear who will provide security there, and there's uncertainty over whether DHS or DOD would have custody of the detainees.

“No one’s really too concerned or worried about it now, because it’s gang members from Venezuela going to Guantanamo, and the average American is probably fine with that," said a source familiar with the planning. "But once we start blurring that line, it just gets dangerous."