Gardner Tells Packed House He'll Fight Gitmo-To-Colorado Plan
FLORENCE, Colo. (CBS4) - Republican Sen. Cory Gardner visited with residents in Florence on Monday after returning from a visit to Guantanamo Bay and shared strong opinions against the plan to close the detention facility.
President Barack Obama has stated he hopes to close the American military facility in Cuba, and Colorado is one of three states that could house some of its 91 prisoners.
Many people in Florence, where the Supermax facility in Colorado is located, think that's a bad idea.
"It's been rumored that seven of the 13 facilities that are being considered by the Department of Defense are right here in Fremont County," he said at a packed town hall meeting.
Gardner said if Obama tries to bypass Congress in an effort to close Guantanamo Bay, he will seek a federal injunction to stop him. He says many of the prisoners in the facility are in touch with terror organizations who would follow their move to Colorado.
"Just because you close Guantanamo Bay, that doesn't mean a terror recruitment tool disappears," Gardner said.
Among those in the meeting who agree with Gardner was Richard Hallabaugh.
"The local community is very upset, anxious, worried, that this could possibly happen by some slight of hand that (Obama) might try," Hallabaugh told CBS4.
Florence Mayor Keith Ore said the town has only 12 police officers, and that "have to deal with everything outside those gates."
"These aren't just nasty prisoners, they're terrorists," Ore said.
Prison guards were among those who attended Monday's town hall. They say the Department of Justice has cut millions of dollars in funding, leaving them short-staffed.
"We're not asking for more staff. We're just asking to fill all the holes that we have and they're choosing not to at this point for cost savings," said Federal Bureau of Prisons Officer Kevin Chapman.
Gardner said he wrote a letter to the head of the Federal Bureau of Prisons with concerns about staffing.
He said he also has learned the Guantanamo Bay prisoners -- if they wind up being brought to Colorado -- would likely be transported to Fort Carson if there's a medical emergency.
"Now you have a situation where you could be putting these terrorists on the road that are already a target, we know," Gardner said.
Hallabaugh said the community isn't about to just sit by.
"I don't want to use the word armed response or militia et cetera, but there will be a tremendous negative local response at the gate," he said.
Sen. Michael Bennet, a Democrat, said he supports closing Guantanamo Bay but doesn't want any of the prisoners to be housed in Colorado. He said he thinks they should be held in military prisons.
