Gary Peters Questions Kristi Noem on DHS Changes and Guantanamo Bay Costs

Cost of Immigration Detention

• 💡 Senator Peters questioned the significant cost of detaining individuals at Guantanamo Bay, estimating it at approximately $100,000 per day per person.
• 🎯 This is contrasted with the estimated cost of $165 per day for detention within the United States.
• ⚠️ Peters highlighted the inefficiency of transporting individuals to Guantanamo Bay and then back to the U.S. when ICE facilities are available.
• 📊 The cost of the wall itself was also discussed, with Peters noting that sophisticated technologies like ladders and ropes are used by cartels to bypass it, implying the wall alone is not a complete solution.

Homeland Security Act Compliance

• 🔑 Senator Peters questioned Secretary Noem about her compliance with Section 872 of the Homeland Security Act of 2002.
• ❓ This section requires a 60-day notice to Congress for any significant organizational changes within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
• 🚫 Peters cited the termination of the civil rights and civil liberties office staff as an example of a change made without proper notification.

DHS Organizational Changes

• 🗣️ Secretary Noem stated that the referenced offices, including civil rights and civil liberties, have been "right-sized" rather than terminated.
• ⚖️ She explained that these offices had become too expansive and were being used as a political tool, leading to their refocusing on their core mission.
• ✅ Noem committed to following the notification law if any future instances require it.