The Pentagon is looking at additional facilities to house immigrants coming across the U.S.-Mexico border, and it appears that the immigrants will be housed on two military bases, as more are under consideration.
The migrants will be housed at two Texas military bases: Fort Bliss and Goodfellow Air Force Base. The Pentagon has said that migrant families will be housed at Fort Bliss, while unaccompanied minors will be housed at Goodfellow Air Force Base, NPR reports.
Last week, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) requested that the Department of Defense (DOD) house up to 12,000 families for up to six months, ABC News reports. If existing facilities are not available on the bases, DHS has instructed the DOD to construct “semi-separate, soft-sided camp facilities.”
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has requested the DOD house up to 20,000 unaccompanied immigrant children.
On Monday, the Pentagon said it will be able to meet DHS’ request to house 2,000 immigrants by August 11, and will be a part of the migrant population at Fort Bliss.
A U.S. official told ABC News that housing of migrants at the bases with not affect military operations.
While other bases are being considered, it is not clear yet which other facilities will be used. DHS, in its memo to the DOD, referenced the Flores Settlement Agreement, which states that immigrant minors should be placed in care near the geographic area that they were apprehended, ABC News reports. Since most of these children are coming from the U.S.-Mexico border, they will most likely be housed in California, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas.