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Immigrant Families Could End Up at Military Facilities

by Jeff Seldin

   PENTAGON --

   The U.S. military is prepared to provide housing for men, women and
   children detained for trying to enter the country illegally along the
   country's southwestern border.

   The executive order signed by President Donald Trump on Wednesday calls
   for the U.S. secretary of defense to "take all legally available
   measures" to provide housing for the immigrants either at existing
   facilities or at facilities to be constructed if needed.

   "We support DHS [Department of Homeland Security]," Mattis told
   reporters earlier in the day, before a meeting at the Pentagon with the
   German defense minister.

   "This is their lead," he added. "We'll respond if requested."

   Four installations considered

   Already, four military installations, three in Texas and one in
   Arkansas, are being considered as possible locations for housing house
   children detained at the border.

   Pentagon officials say that so far, the facilities at Fort Bliss, Dyess
   Air Force Base and Goodfellow Air Force Base in Texas and at Little
   Rock Air Force Base in Arkansas have been assessed only as potential
   sites and that no final determination has been made.

   They also say that if the sites are used, the military would not be
   responsible for providing security or other services.

   Mattis noted this would not be the first time the military has been
   asked to help house civilians.

   "We have housed refugees. We have housed people thrown out of their
   homes by earthquakes and hurricanes," he told reporters. "We do
   whatever is in the best interest of the country."

   'No direct military role

   The Pentagon has not played a direct role in addressing the situation
   along the country's border with Mexico, though it has facilitated the
   deployment of National Guard forces to border states.

   Those troops have been helping with some aerial surveillance, logistics
   and infrastructure support but have not been carrying out any patrols
   and have not been making any arrests.

   In a symbolic protest against the president's initial "zero-tolerance"
   policy of separating children from their families, the governors of
   almost a dozen U.S. state announced they would be recalling their
   National Guard units.

   Asked if those withdrawals had made any impact on the National Guard's
   mission at the border, Mattis said, "Not right now, no."

   Jeff works out of VOA's Washington headquarters and is national
   security correspondent. You can follow Jeff on Twitter at [1]@jseldin
   or on [2]Google Plus.

References

   1. https://twitter.com/jseldin
   2. https://plus.google.com/112142189315478513438