Fort Huachuca in southeastern Arizona and Fort Bliss in west Texas have been identified by defense officials as likely sites to house migrant detainees.
Officials have been taking inventory of tents and razor wire in preparation.
The Pentagon has taken a number of steps recently to increase the military presence at the border. In late February, the Army began planning to house as many as 30,000 migrant detainees at military bases inside the United States.
The news comes as the Pentagon ordered the deployment of as many as 3,000 additional troops with armored vehicles to the southern border, according to Defense Department officials.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, at the direction of President Donald Trump, ordered a Stryker Brigade Combat Team and an aviation battalion to a border security mission. They will arrive in coming weeks, according to Defense Department officials who were not authorized to speak publicly.
The troops add to a growing U.S. military presence on the border. In January, Trump ordered 1,500 active-duty troops to support about 2,500 National Guard and Reserve troops already there.
Headquarters personnel from the 10th Mountain Division have been at Fort Huachuca since mid-February.
The soldiers were deployed to support Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials who will deal directly with migrants at the border. The soldiers will set up observation posts, conduct patrols and call ICE officials when they see breaches in the border.
They do not have the authority to make arrests. Between 2,500 and 3,000 new troops will be sent in this deployment, the official said.
Trump has declared a national emergency at the border to address immigration challenges, which were the hallmark of his presidential campaign. Previous administrations have also sent active-duty troops to the border.
What to know about Fort Huachuca
Fort Huachuca is known for military intelligence and drone technology. It is Arizona’s longest-lived Army installation.
It is located in Sierra Vista in Cochise County, about 15 miles north of Arizona’s border with Mexico.
Fort Huachuca was the historic home of the Army’s Buffalo Soldiers, the Army’s regiments of Black soldiers (24th and 25th Infantry Regiments and the 9th and 10th Cavalry Regiments) from 1892-1945. Congress declared Fort Huachuca a National Historic Landmark in 1976.
It now is the home of units that include the U.S. Army’s school for training military intelligence personnel and an Unmanned Aircraft System training center. It also operates the Army’s Electronic Proving Ground.
More border news: Long wait times at Lukeville border crossing as Mexico steps up security checks
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Fort Huachuca in Arizona could house thousands of migrant detainees
Read the full article here
