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Trump Has Called for Pentagon to Make Beds Available for 20,000 Children at US Military Bases
The Defense Department has also announced it will deploy military lawyers to the southern border to prosecute immigrants
by Julia Conley, staff writer
Common Dreams
June 21, 2018
Responsibility for unaccompanied children and families who arrive in the U.S. via the southern border appeared to shift to the U.S. military on Thursday, as the Trump administration called on the Pentagon to make preparations to house approximately 20,000 children on military bases.
Following President Donald Trump's executive order in which he directed federal agencies to prepare detention facilities to house families together and to end the forcible separation of families, Pentagon officials agreed to determine whether military bases in Arkansas and Texas could house families and unaccompanied minors.
According to the Washington Post, the arrangement would involve housing children on military bases for at least six months, until the end of 2018.
The deal between the Pentagon and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), which oversees the care and supervision of unaccompanied children who immigrate to the U.S. via the southern border, follows reports that Defense Secretary James Mattis would send more than 20 military attorneys to border states to assist in prosecuting immigrants.
The Trump administration originally examined the possibility of housing children on military bases in May, shortly after Attorney General Jeff Sessions introduced his "zero tolerance" policy under which more than 2,000 children have been separated from their parents, and before the practice drew international condemnation and widespread protests which ultimately forced Trump to sign his executive order.
The original reports drew comparisons to World War II-era internment camps from critics.
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More credibility to this news story as this is from a military site:
Up to 20,000 migrant kids may be sent to military bases
The locations could include four that have already been reviewed by the Department of Health and Human Services, (HHS) or could include other military installations or tent city locations not yet named.
“HHS has requested DoD to determine its capabilities to provide up to 20,000 temporary beds for unaccompanied alien children at DoD installations,” said Pentagon spokesman Lt. Col. Jamie Davis in a statement.
“While four bases (three in Texas and one in Arkansas) have been visited by HHS for possible housing, it doesn’t mean any or all children would be housed there.”
“HHS and DOD are working closely to determine the requirements and timing for support,” Davis continued. “Secretary Mattis’ guidance has been clear: that the DoD will support our federal partners.”
DoD has previously said it would be responsible for the base security; HHS would be responsible for feeding and caring for the minors.
Court battles will begin as the time to prosecute the parents even if they are not seperated may take longer than the 20 days on the law books.
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