Obama submits plan to close Guantanamo Bay, state leaders react

The Obama administration sent a plan to congress to close down the Guantanamo Bay and send detainees to the U.S. before he leaves office next year.

President Obama sent the plan Tuesday to shut down the facility. He wants to transfer the remaining 91 detainees to their home countries or to U.S. military or prisons. He noted the prison undermines the country’s national security.

Two of the prisons mentioned on that list – the Supermax prison in Florence and Colorado State Penetentiary II just east of Canon City.

“This is about closing a chapter in our history. It reflects the lessons we’ve learned since 9/11,” Obama announced Tuesday from the Roosevelt Room at the White House.

The president’s plan includes four primary points:

The transfer of 35 detainees to overseas countries.
Speeding up the review process for 56 remaining detainees who have not been decided if they’re eligible for transfer.
Using all legal tools available to resolve cases of remaining detainees.
Work with congress to select a secure transfer location on U.S. soil.

Sen. Cory Gardner released a statement after the pentagon released its proposed plan.

“Pursuant to law he signed just three months ago, the president is prohibited from transferring or assisting in the transfer of Guantanamo Bay detainees to the United States homeland, as confirmed by secretary of Defense Ash Carter and Attorney General Loretta Lynch. Regardless of today’s futile proposal, transferring detainees to the U.S. is illegal, and it’s rejected by Coloradans, top Colorado law enforcement officials, and Americans across the country,” said Gardner.

U.S. Senator Michael Bennet said he also dosen’t support the plan.

“I’ve repeatedly said I do not support the transfer of prisoners from the Guantanamo Bay military facility to Colorado. I’ve voted to close the prison, but I believe military detainees should be held in military prisons. Colorado does not have that type of facility,” said Bennet.

Congressman Doug Lamborn also reacted to the plan.

“This new Obama plan doesn’t really change the debate about Guantanamo, and it certainly doesn’t change the law. Transferring detainees to the United States, whether to Colorado or anywhere else, is still against the law, and still against the will of the American people. The law has made it perfectly clear that there should not be a single detainee transfer to the United States,” said Lamborn.

The plan does not specify where in the U.S. detainees would go. The Pentagon has considered 13 different locations in the U.S., including Colorado.

Gardner said he plans on taking action to ensure Guantanamo Bay detainees remain in Cuba and out of Colorado.

The plan is drawing mixed reaction.

“If they have brothers in arms in my county, it makes me uneasy, I’m responsible for public safety,” said Fremont County Sheriff Jim Beicker.

In September 2015, Gardner urged the president to abandon his plan.