Pentagon asked to house up to 20,000 migrant children at military bases

[mystery-ak]

Pentagon asked to house up to 20,000 migrant children at military bases
By Ellen Mitchell - 06/21/18 03:42 PM EDT

The Trump administration may place up to 20,000 unaccompanied migrant children on military bases starting as early as next month, according to a new Pentagon memo.

The notification, sent to lawmakers on Wednesday and first reported by The Washington Post, states that the Defense Department has received a request for assistance from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

“HHS has requested DOD determine its capabilities to provide up to 20,000 temporary beds for unaccompanied children at DOD installations,” the document states.

If the Pentagon finds that it can provide such lodging, “the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) requests the facilities be available for occupancy as early as July through December 31, 2018.”

Defense Secretary James Mattis on Wednesday said the military would house immigrant children if asked by the administration.

“We’ll see what they come in with. We support DHS, and right now this is their lead, and we’ll respond if requested,” Mattis told reporters outside the Pentagon.

Mattis spoke just before President Trump signed an executive order intended to end family separations at the U.S. southern border, attempting to staunch controversy over the administration's “zero-tolerance” policy on illegal immigration.

Announced in April, the policy has led to an estimated 2,000 children being separated from their adult guardians and placed in detention centers while the adults await prosecution for illegally crossing the border.

http://thehill.com/policy/defense/393531-pentagon-asked-to-house-up-to-20000-migrant-children-at-military-bases

[Victoria33]

20,000 KIDS!  This is nuts.  The kids are also being flown all over the country to detention centers.  This is nuts.

[Cyber Liberty]

20,000 KIDS!  This is nuts.  The kids are also being flown all over the country to detention centers.  This is nuts.

It's what the media and their political arm the Democrats are demanding.  All I see here is Trump giving them what they demand, so it can be seen that they didn't really give a rip about the kids being separated.

[dfwgator]

Mexico should be taking care of these kids, not us!

[montanajoe]

Probably a good idea, the civilian bureaucracy is so political now that it hardly functions.

It's not like the military does not have experience in this sort of thing. I was involved in the run up to the fall of Saigon and the relocation of tens of thousands of refugees to Fort Chaffee. It was done effectively and efficiently.

Being on military bases gives the administration an opportunity to get control of the narrative...should they choose to do so...

[dfwgator]

Probably a good idea, the civilian bureaucracy is so political now that it hardly functions.

It's not like the military does not have experience in this sort of thing. I was involved in the run up to the fall of Saigon and the relocation of tens of thousands of refugees to Fort Chaffee. It was done effectively and efficiently.

Being on military bases gives the administration an opportunity to get control of the narrative...should they choose to do so...

They need to be out of the country.  The longer they stay on US territory the greater the odds they'll be here for good.

[montanajoe]

They need to be out of the country.  The longer they stay on US territory the greater the odds they'll be here for good.

Well the fact is that they are not going anywhere for awhile as neither Congress nor the Administration is capable of doing anything. My guess is that ultimately, after several years there will be a definitive ruling from the Courts but I'm not holding my breath.

[Fishrrman]

Think about this, folks:

Those kids aren't coming in through "normal points of entry".

If the wall was in place, many of them wouldn't get across it at all.
I daresay 90-95% or more.

Do you support the construction of a Berlin-wall-like border barrier?
(Yes, I do).