The U.S. Congress has reacted to a proposal that would use the training ship Golden Bear to deport illegal immigrants. John Garamendi and Salud Carbajal, representatives from California, criticized the plan, describing it as inhumane and fraught with numerous practical and legal challenges.
Details of the Proposal and Reactions
This proposal, which has been informally raised, has become a topic of significant media attention. According to reports, the U.S. Department of Defense is considering using naval ships to transport immigrants to Central or South America. Congressional representatives emphasized in a statement that this action is not only impractical but will also incur significant costs for taxpayers.
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The training ship Golden Bear, which operates for the California Maritime Academy, has been identified as one of the potential options for this plan. This ship, which was commissioned in 1989 as USNS Maury, is currently being returned to MARAD (the U.S. Maritime Administration) due to the end of its service.
Background and Dimensions of the Proposal
The Golden Bear, measuring 500 feet (153 meters) long and with a capacity of 12,500 tons, can accommodate about 300 students and has a permanent crew of 39. The ship recently completed its last training voyage and held a farewell celebration on October 9 for its 30 years of service.
The Department of Defense is also exploring various options for using other ships. However, congressional representatives have expressed concerns about this plan, viewing it as an attempt to shift the costs of deporting immigrants onto the Department of Defense budget. They also referenced the complex history of maritime deportations in the United States, recalling that a similar attempt to deport Mexicans from California in 1956 faced serious challenges.
Ultimately, Garamendi and Carbajal emphasized that this plan represents an escalation of the current administration's immigration policies and called for the cessation of this action. They believe that using ships to deport immigrants is not only unethical but also impractical.
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