Two California lawmakers, John Garamendi and Salud Carbajal, have called for the Trump administration to abandon reported plans to use tankers for mass deportations, including the training tanker Golden Bear.
Challenges of Sea Deportations
In a letter to Alejandro Mayorkas, the Secretary of Homeland Security, the representatives warned against this proposal, stating that deporting immigrants from the sea faces numerous operational, safety, and legal challenges and would impose significant costs on taxpayers.
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This letter was released following a report on October 8 indicating that the government is considering using tankers to transport immigrants to Central and South American countries. Discussions included the 500-foot Golden Bear tanker as well as other vessels.
Status and Future of Golden Bear
This proposal is still in the early stages, and no official decision has been announced regarding the use of Golden Bear or other ships for deportations. Garamendi emphasized in a statement on October 28: "The Trump administration and Immigration and Customs Enforcement can never use the Golden Bear for their mass deportation program."
The Golden Bear tanker has recently completed its final training voyage after 30 years of service at the California Maritime Academy. Originally built as a U.S. Navy oceanographic vessel, it was used as a training tool for maritime officers. The ship has now returned to the U.S. Maritime Administration (MARAD).
Currently, the California Maritime Academy is awaiting the arrival of a new training ship, the Golden State, as part of the National Security Multi-Mission Vessel program. The government is also exploring options to procure other vessels, including ships stationed in Europe for deportation operations.
Recent reports indicate that proposed voyages could take several days to reach destinations such as El Salvador, Honduras, and Venezuela, which would require high security costs and necessary measures for the care and feeding of immigrants during the journey.
Carbajal, a Democratic representative on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, warned that using ships to detain immigrants could create further regulatory issues and lead to more chaos.
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