US Lawmakers Vow to Sink Trump’s Deportation Ship Plan
Congressmen Garamendi and Carbajal pledge to halt the use of the retiring training vessel Golden Bear for migrant.
Two senior Democratic congressmen from California have pledged to block any attempt by the Trump administration to use the retiring training ship Golden Bear for mass deportations, calling the plan “deeply inhumane” and fraught with operational and legal risks.
Congressmen John Garamendi and Salud Carbajal, both members of the House Armed Services Committee and the Transportation and Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, issued a joint statement on Tuesday warning against the proposal, which was first reported by The New York Times earlier this month. The newspaper cited unnamed Department of Defense officials who confirmed that the administration was considering repurposing vessels, including the Golden Bear, to transport detained migrants to Central or South America.
The Golden Bear, a 500-foot (153-metre) vessel with a gross tonnage of 12,500 GT, was originally commissioned by the U.S. Navy in 1989 as the hydrographic survey ship USNS Maury. Alongside its sister ship, USNS Tanner, later renamed the training vessel State of Maine, it was one of the fastest oceanographic vessels ever built.
The Navy decommissioned both ships in 1994, transferring them to the U.S. Maritime Administration (MARAD). Two years later, the Maury was refitted as the training ship Golden Bear and handed over to what was then Cal Maritime, now known as Cal Poly Maritime Academy in Solano, California.
The vessel, designed to accommodate approximately 300 cadets and operated by a permanent crew of 39, recently completed its final training cruise. October 9 9, Cal Poly Maritime hosted a farewell celebration for the ship after 30 years of service. It is now being returned to MARAD for decommissioning, as the academy awaits the delivery of its new training vessel, the Golden State, which is scheduled to be christened in Philadelphia in the summer of 2027.
Legal, operational, and humanitarian concerns: Trump
In their statement, Garamendi and Carbajal highlighted the “enormous operational, safety, and legal challenges” of using ships for deportations. They also pointed to the financial burden of such an operation, arguing that it would shift costs onto the Department of Defense budget while serving as another escalation in the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement tactics.
In 1956, the U.S. attempted a similar operation, deporting Mexican nationals by sea from California. The voyage ended in disaster when 40 passengers jumped overboard near Tampico, Mexico, and five drowned. The New York Times cited this incident in its reporting, questioning why officials were entertaining a plan with such a “checkered history.".
“Mark my words, Donald Trump, Markwayne Mullin, and ICE will never use the Golden Bear for their mass deportation agenda,” Garamendi declared. “Not only is deporting migrants by ship impractical, but it’s also deeply inhumane.”
“Not only is deporting migrants by ship impractical, but it’s also deeply inhumane.”
John Garamendi·Congressman
Carbajal echoed the sentiment, stating, “If the Trump administration follows through on this proposal, it would represent another escalation of their brutal immigration enforcement tactics.”
The proposed operation, which local newspapers suggest could run for at least 45 days into November, has already faced logistical hurdles. The Golden Bear was moved to Mare Island Dry Dock earlier this month as part of its transfer back to MARAD, while its sister ship, the State of Maine, was officially returned to the agency in late July.
The Department of Defense has reportedly reached out to shipping companies in Europe as part of its broader consideration of maritime deportation options.
The controversy comes as Cal Poly Maritime Academy prepares for the arrival of its new training ship, the Golden State, which will begin operations in 2027.
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