Lawmakers clash over Standish prisoners

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) - A maximum security prison in Standish is being considered to house Guantanamo Bay terrorism suspects. Community members and lawmakers weighed in Thursday at an emergency town hall meeting.

U.S. Rep. Pete Hoekstra, R-Holland, was asked to speak at the event, hosted by local businesses.

Earlier in the week, he said he opposed the terror suspects being brought anywhere in the United States and called on the administration to take local and state officials, as well as the media, to Cuba, to see exactly what they could expect.

"The administration is reportedly making pie-in-the-sky promises to local officials, but there is no guarantee that the federal and military jobs at Guantanamo Bay will go to local prison guards," Hoekstra said in a release.

He also called for many files on the facility to be declassified for reasons of transparency.

But although Hoekstra, Oakland County Sheriff Mike Bouchard and Gov. Jennifer Granholm have expressed concerns over the plan, both of Michigan's Senators say they don't object to the idea being considered.

"It's up to the state and local officials whether they want to accept federal prisoners in state facilities," said Senator Carl Levin, D-Mich. "I believe that providing state and local officials are accepting of it and local people are accepting of it, that it's something we ought to do.

"Ultimately, in my mind, the community and the state has to feel comfortable. I think the governor will have to make that decision along with the community."