Senators tour Guantanamo Bay, criticize misuse of military and taxpayer dollars

A delegation of Democratic and independent U.S. senators visited Guantanamo Bay this past weekend to assess how the Department of Defense is handling deported migrants

After returning from the Naval Station in Cuba, the five senators called it a waste of both U.S. military resources and a disrespect to American taxpayers

Democratic Senator Jack Reed of Rhode Island led the delegation also serving as a ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee

Congressional AIDS told the New York Times that Senator Reid, along with other lawmakers, was briefed on operation costs at Guantanamo, which reached $40 million as of March 12th

This estimate covers a six-week period during which 290 migrants were relocated there

This week, the population at the base fell to about 85 migrants

In total, fewer than 400 men have been housed there under Trump's executive order, which originally aimed to house up to 30,000

migrants, according to the administration. On January 29th, the directive outlined the base should

be used at full capacity to provide additional detention space for high-priority criminal aliens

unlawfully present in the United States and to address attendant immigration enforcement needs

identified by the Department of Defense and the Department of Homeland Security

The Guantanamo operation has run into logistical, financial, and legal troubles. The administration's

reliance on costly military and regular flights to move migrants has raised questions about the real

effectiveness of the initiative In a joint statement the senators expressed President Trump could implement his immigration policies for a fraction of the cost by using existing ICE facilities in the U but he is obsessed with the image of using Guantanamo no matter the cost

Reed was joined by Democratic senators Gene Shaheen, Gary Peters, Independent Angus King, and Alex Padilla

The senators say the trip was the only way to get answers from the Trump administration as Defense Secretary Pete Hexeth at Homeland

and security secretary, Christine Nome, bypassed Congress to carry out immigration enforcement

After meeting with the employees and military personnel staffing the facility, about 1,000

in total, the senators thanked them for their dedication and commitment to national security

The delegation said we met with dozens of service members who were rushed to Guantanamo Bay

without notice, leaving their critical day-to-day military missions behind in order to build tents

that should never be filled and guard immigrants who should never be held there

During their visit, they witnessed more than a dozen migrants arriving at the facility from

Louisiana just hours after the visit ended. Another small group was brought in on a military plane

Weeks earlier in March, 40 men were flown back to the U.S., and before that, 48 other

migrants were returned from Guantanamo with no explanation given about their arrival

The senators are urging President Trump to halt the relocation of migrant

to Guantanamo Bay and to operate under a legal authority that doesn't undermine the military's readiness

For straight-era news, I'm Kaylee Carey. Find the latest unbiased fact-based news right now by downloading the

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