EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) — A deportation hub is being planned at Fort Bliss as the Trump Administration ramps up plans to use military installations to detain undocumented immigrants, the New York Times is reporting.
The move would be a “drastic escalation by the White House to militarize immigration enforcement,” the New York Times reported.
President Trump’s team is developing a deportation hub at Fort Bliss that could eventually hold up to 10,000 undocumented immigrants as they go through the process of being deported, the New York Times reported, citing three officials familiar with the plan.
“Fort Bliss would serve as a model as the administration aims to develop more detention facilities on military sites across the country — from Utah to the area near Niagara Falls — to hold potentially thousands more people and make up for a shortfall of space at Immigration and Customs Enforcement facilities,” the New York Times said, again citing their sources.
The New York Times said its sources spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss details of a plan that is still in its early stages and has not yet been finalized.
As we have previously reported, the Trump Administration has been using Biggs Army Airfield at Fort Bliss for deportation flights.
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Charles Q. Brown visited Fort Bliss on Friday and its tenant organization, Joint Task Force North, which has been involved in supporting and training troops being used for the border mission.
“This has been a mission the Department of Defense has supported the Department of Homeland Security for a number of years, with a much greater focus over the past month,” Brown said. “It is an opportunity for me to come out and talk to (Joint Task Force North), learn a little bit more about the mission but also have an opportunity to talk to our DHS and Border Patrol colleagues on the approach that they are doing.”
Brown said he got a helicopter tour and briefing.
He said it is an opportunity to see “first hand and be able to talk to service members who are doing their mission and thank them for the tremendous work they do day in and day out.”
We have reached out to Fort Bliss for comment.
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