{"id":51412,"date":"2018-06-25T18:55:52","date_gmt":"2018-06-25T18:55:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/uncategorized\/2018\/06\/25\/migrant-detainees-to-be-housed-at-2-bases-in-texas\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T08:29:40","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T08:29:40","slug":"migrant-detainees-to-be-housed-at-2-bases-in-texas","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/news\/your-navy\/2018\/06\/25\/migrant-detainees-to-be-housed-at-2-bases-in-texas\/","title":{"rendered":"Migrant detainees to be housed at 2 bases in Texas"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The Army\u2019s Fort Bliss and Goodfellow Air Force Base will house detained migrants swept up in the federal government\u2019s crackdown on illegal immigration, Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said Monday. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThat is confirmed now that that would be the two bases \u2015 Goodfellow Air Force Base and Fort Bliss,\u201d Mattis said during a press conference in Alaska. \u201cBut I cannot confirm the specifics on how they\u2019ll be used.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mattis has said several times recently that the Pentagon is prepared to support whatever help the Department of Homeland Security and Department of Health and Human Services request. The request already has some members of Congress offering amendments to the 2019 defense bill to prohibit funds from being used to pay for any construction of temporary shelters at the bases. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mattis defended the use of the bases. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cProviding housing shelter for those who need it is a legitimate governmental function,\u201d Mattis said. \u201cI recognize the political aspects of it but for us it\u2019s a logistics support effort.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The number of detained migrants who might be held at Bliss and Goodfellow has not been announced, but the Pentagon had said last week that it had been asked to be prepared to shelter as many as 20,000 unaccompanied children.<\/p>\n\n\n\t