(KGTV and ABC) - As many as 20,000 migrant children detained after crossing the U.S.-Mexico border may be moved to military bases, ABC News reported Thursday, citing a Pentagon spokesperson.
The Department of Health and Human Services made the request for temporary shelter and the Defense Department accepted it, said spokesman, Army Lt. Col. Jamie Davis.
The Associated Press obtained a Pentagon memo to members of Congress saying the agencies had been asked to have facilities prepared from July through the end of the year, according to ABC News. The memo said HHS personnel or contractors would provide all care for the children, including supervision and physical needs.
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It was not clear which bases would be used to house the children. Four military bases were assessed by HHS but the Pentagon was not told which, if any, would be used, ABC Newsreported.
The four bases previously assessed as potential shelter locations are Little Rock Air Force Base in Arkansas, plus three bases in Texas: Dyess Air Force Base, Goodfellow Air Force Base and Fort Bliss.
The children who would be housed on military bases are those who cross the border illegally by themselves, as opposed to those accompanied by adults, sources said.
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President Trump signed an executive order Wednesday to keep families together for at least 20 days after they cross the border.
