US Army planning to house up to 30,000 migrant detainees
WASHINGTON — The Army has begun planning to house as many as 30,000 migrant detainees on bases inside the United States, according to a Defense official.
Fort Bliss in Texas would likely be the first to receive detainees, according to the official who was not authorized to disclose military planning decisions. Fort Huachuca in Arizona and other domestic bases are also being considered as sites for detainees.
Officials have begun taking stock of what they’ll need for the operation, including tents and concertina wire, the official said. Military bases in the continental United States, including Fort Bliss, have been used in the past to hold migrant detainees. A second Defense official said construction is under way on the Bliss facility.
The Pentagon, under the second Trump administration, has also sent a number of detained migrants to the naval base at Guantanamo Bay. However, at 30,000 detainees, the current effort would be one of the largest undertaken by the military.
President Donald Trump declared a national emergency at the border and directed the military to assist the Department of Homeland Security. Trump then ordered than 1,500 active-duty soldiers and Marines to the border, adding to the force of 2,500 troops already stationed there.
Army soldiers would likely be responsible for maintaining security of the perimeter of each base, not detention operations, the official said. However, members of the Texas National Guard, who have been federally deputized, could be involved guarding detainees.
Defense secretary Pete Hegseth’s first trip after winning Senate confirmation included a visit with troops at Ft. Bliss.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection reported about 1,000 migrant encounters a day in early January at the end of the Biden administration, down about 75% from the previous year.