Attorney General Jeff Sessions Jefferson (Jeff) Beauregard SessionsTrump's policies on refugees are as simple as ABCs Ocasio-Cortez, Velázquez call for convention to decide Puerto Rico status White House officials voted by show of hands on 2018 family separations: report MORE and his deputy, Rod Rosenstein, on Friday were set to visit the prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, to receive “an up-to-date understanding of current operations,” according to the Justice Department.

“Keeping this country safe from terrorists is the highest priority of the Trump administration,” Justice Department spokesman Ian Prior said in a statement.

“Recent attacks in Europe and elsewhere confirm that the threat to our nation is immediate and real, and it remains essential that we use every lawful tool available to prevent as many attacks as possible.”

Prior added that Sessions and Rosenstein would be “meeting with the people on the ground who are leading our government-wide efforts” at the prison.

Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats Daniel (Dan) Ray CoatsFBI chief says Russia is trying to interfere in election to undermine Biden The Hill's Morning Report - Sponsored by The Air Line Pilots Association - Trump, Biden renew push for Latino support Former Intel chief had 'deep suspicions' that Putin 'had something on Trump': book MORE was also expected to join in the visit, the Miami Herald reported.

ADVERTISEMENT

Sessions has frequently supported the Guantanamo Bay detention facility, both as attorney general and as an Alabama senator. In March he called it a “very fine place” and that he sees no legal reason not to send potential terrorism suspects there.

President Trump vowed on the campaign trail to keep the prison open and filled, and earlier this year he released draft executive orders that would call for captured ISIS suspects to be sent there. The orders also would halt the process for clearing detainees for transfer.

Trump has yet to sign any of the orders or send any newly captured suspects to Guantanamo.

President George W. Bush opened the facility in January 2002 as a place to bring suspected terrorists after the 9/11 attacks. Nearly 800 prisoners were brought there before the Bush administration began trying to close it.

President Barack Obama Barack Hussein ObamaObama calls on Senate not to fill Ginsburg's vacancy until after election Senate Republicans face tough decision on replacing Ginsburg Cruz: Trump should nominate a Supreme Court justice next week MORE attempted to close the prison when he first entered the White House in 2009 and several times after, but he was never successful. Obama did manage to reduce the number of detainees to 41 men by the time he left office.