Goodlatte Statement on Administration's Plan to Close Guantanamo Detention Facility

Washington, D.C. – House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.) issued the following statement on the plan issued by the Department of Defense to close the Guantanamo Bay detention facility and relocate detainees in the United States: “The Obama Administration thinks enemy combatants at Guantanamo Bay deemed too dangerous for release to foreign countries should be brought to the U.S.  This is an untested plan that contains untold implications for Americans’ safety and the United States’ security. “Once these enemy combatants are transferred to the United States, it may be impossible to ever remove them and it is unknown if they could be released into American communities. This Administration has a long history of releasing criminal aliens into our communities instead of deporting them, and these enemy combatants would be the most dangerous yet. This is one of the reasons why these terrorists have been held outside the country. Enemy combatants should remain outside of the United States where they can be detained away from our communities and without needlessly jeopardizing the safety and security of the American people.” ###