No 'daycare center': Lawmakers tell Obama not to use Ft. Hood to house illegal immigrant kids
Two Texas lawmakers wrote President Obama this week to oppose a possible plan to use Fort Hood military base to house unaccompanied minors who illegally crossed into the U.S. from Mexico.
Republican congressmen John Carter and Roger Williams, whose districts both include parts of the sprawling military base, say they wrote the letter after learning the Pentagon has assigned a team to assess the possibility of using it and other bases to house young immigrants.
“We strongly urge your Administration not to house illegal immigrants on any military base,” read the letter, dated Dec. 16. “Furthermore, your Administration should commit to securing the border and focus your efforts on reuniting these children with their families in their native countries.”
Fort Hood, a 215,000-acre base that lies halfway between Austin and Waco, is home to around 50,000 military and civilian personnel. Carter said using it to shelter illegal immigrants is “outrageous.”
“It is outrageous that this administration would even consider using our military installations to shelter illegal immigrants who have crossed our southern border,” Carter said. “President Obama needs to enforce our immigration laws and secure our border, not undermine our military at a time when our country is facing increased threats from radical Islamic terrorists.