Obama Administration Seeks Housing for Illegal Minors; Considers Military Bases
In light of yet another surge of undocumented minors entering the U.S. borders from Central America through the southern Mexico borders, the Obama administration has orchestrated an initial plan to respond to the growing number of unaccompanied children.
According to Fox News Latino, the government seemed to be concerned of yet another possible outpour of illegal minors entering the U.S. borders like those 63,000 that entered in 2014, which prompted them to seek housing in military bases for a temporary shelter, which the U.S. military has already approved.
The publication further reports that the move is an emergency response to the second surge of children, who crossed borders without their guardians or parents. The government reportedly eyes six military bases, including the Holloman Air Force Base in New Mexico, to temporary give a place for the children, until a relative or sponsor in the U.S. claims them and while they await their immigration court proceedings.
In a letter to Rep. Martha Roby, the Pentagon says six military bases including Tyndall Air Force Base in Florida, Grand Forks Air Force Base in North Dakota, Naval Support Activity Philadelphia in Pennsylvania, Hanscom Air Force Base in Massachusetts and Travis Air Force Base in California may be considered to house the illegal minors, BreitBart reports.
"The Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) at HHS is expanding its capacity to provide shelter for the current influx of Unaccompanied Children at the U.S. Southern Border," the letter from Office of the Secretary of Defense's Matthew Rhoades reads as quoted by the publication.
"This temporary increased shelter capacity is a prudent step needed to ensure ORR meets its statutory responsibility to provide shelter for the unaccompanied children referred to its care and to assist CBP in ensuring that the US Border Patrol continues its vital national security mission to prevent illegal migration and trafficking, and to protect the borders of the United States," he added.
Furthermore, two federal facilities will also be activated in light of the current surge of illegal minors including Homestead Job Corps in Homestead, Florida and Denver Federal Campus in Lakewood, Colorado. Such are expected to provide up to 1,800 beds for the children.
According to Fox News Latino, In October and November of 2015, 10,588 children entered the U.S. illegally, double than the number in 2014 which was just at 63,000 according to statistics from U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Furthermore, this week, the Department of Homeland Security kicked off their large-scale immigration raids to respond to the Obama Administration's call to detain and deport illegal immigrants.
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