Two U.S. military bases in Texas to house
immigrants: Mattis
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[June 26, 2018]
By Phil Stewart
EIELSON AIR FORCE BASE, Alaska (Reuters) -
The U.S. military is preparing to house immigrants at two bases in
Texas, Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said on Monday, the latest sign of
the military being drawn into a supporting role for President Donald
Trump's immigration policies.
Fort Bliss, an Army base in El Paso, Texas, and Goodfellow Air Base in
San Angelo, Texas, would be used, Mattis said, but he added that he
could not confirm any specifics.
"We'll provide whatever support the Department of Homeland Security
needs in order to house the people they have under their custody,"
Mattis told reporters in Alaska before leaving on an Asia trip.
In the face of outrage at home and overseas over his crackdown on
illegal immigration, Trump was forced last week to abandon his policy of
separating children from parents who are apprehended for illegally
crossing the U.S.-Mexico border.

The U.S. military, and Mattis in particular, have stressed that it is
simply providing logistical support to the Department of Homeland
Security, which deals with immigration issues.
"We're not going to get into the political aspect. Providing housing,
shelter for those who need it is a legitimate governmental function,"
Mattis said.
One U.S. official, speaking earlier on the condition of anonymity, said
it was expected that one of the bases would house immigrant families and
another immigrant children.
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Honduran families seeking asylum wait on the Mexican side of the
Brownsville-Matamoros International Bridge after being denied entry
by U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers near Brownsville,
Texas, U.S., June 24, 2018. REUTERS/Loren Elliott

On Sunday, Mattis said the U.S. military was preparing to build
temporary camps at two military bases to house immigrants but did
not name the facilities.
Last week, the U.S. military said it had been asked by the
government to get ready to house up to 20,000 immigrant children.
Trump has previously turned to the military to help with his border
crackdown. Earlier this year, U.S. National Guard forces were
dispatched to border states to help tighten security.
(Reporting by Phil Stewart at Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska;
additional reporting by Idrees Ali and Doina Chiacu in Washington;
Editing by Cynthia Osterman and Grant McCool)
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