Obama administration again making plans to transfer Guantanamo detainees to Kansas

After news that the Obama administration again wants to transfer detainees from the Guantanamo Bay detention camp to Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, U.S. Sen. Pat Roberts (R-KS) spoke out against the action last week.

“We have received reports of President Obama’s attempt to shut down Guantanamo Bay, which once again reflects another egregious overstep by this administration,” Roberts, whose constituency covers the areas surrounding Fort Leavenworth, said. “Congress has consistently stopped Obama by law from moving a single detainee to the U.S.”

Roberts has continuously battled the Obama administration’s plans to transfer Guantanamo detainees to the mainland, especially to his home state. Six years ago, when a similar move was in the works, Roberts used the tactic of placing legislative holds on nominees, successfully preventing the administration’s plan to move detainees to Fort Leavenworth. 

Roberts also has co-sponsored The Detaining Terrorists to Protect America Act, legislation that prohibits the transfer to the United States of detainees designated medium or high risk for two years. It also would ban additional transfers to Yemen, where many of the remaining Guantanamo detainees are from.

“I shut down this administration’s nominee for Secretary of the Army in 2009 to prevent moving any detainees to Kansas and will do it again if necessary,” Roberts added. “Not on my watch will any terrorist be placed in Kansas.”