Dozens of Democrats called on President Joe Biden Wednesday to fulfill his promise of closing the prison at Guantanamo Bay.
The group of 75 House Democrats sent a letter to Biden on Wednesday in which they called for him to “take the steps necessary to finally close the prison…once and for all.”
FEDERAL JUDGE PAUSES TEXAS COVID-19 MIGRANT TRANSPORT ORDER
The legislators argued that the prison’s continued operation is “a stain on our international reputation and undermines our ability to advocate for human rights and the rule of law.”
The administration should prioritize the reduction of the prison’s population, should treat detainees “humanely and make appropriate accommodations to provide for their medical care,” and should provide more transparency in the commission process, the lawmakers argued in the letter.
House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff organized the letter alongside Reps. David Price and Ilhan Omar, per the Hill.
There are 39 detainees remaining in Guantanamo Bay, and 10 of them are eligible for transfer, a Department of Defense spokesperson told the Washington Examiner last month following the transfer of Abdul Latin Nasir. Former President George W. Bush opened the detention center in 2002, and at its peak, the facility housed nearly 800 detainees, according to NBC News.
The lawmakers urged the Biden administration “to immediately re-establish the office of the Special Envoy for Guantanamo Prison Closure at the State Department or create an analogous position.”
“We recommend that you analyze and expeditiously respond as you determine appropriate resolutions in the cases involving ten detainees who have been cleared for release by the Guantanamo Review Task Force or the Periodic Review Board, and yet remain at the prison,” the letter reads.
One challenge to closing the prison is the current provision that prevents the transfer of Guantanamo prisoners to the U.S., though the House version of the National Defense Authorization Act would remove that ban. The Senate version does not have the language that would overturn the previous provision.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
“The prison at Guantanamo represents a fundamental betrayal of our values and our commitment as a country to the rule of law,” they concluded. “You have our full support in your efforts to close the prison once and for all.”
