The Department of Defense sign, before Incoming Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III arrives at the Pentagon after being confirmed as secretary of defense, Washington, D.C., Jan. 22, 2021. (DoD photo by Lisa Ferdinando)
By Gary Raynaldo DIPLOMATIC TIMES
WASHINGTON – PENTAGON – A Department of Defense official said U.S. forces and their families will be separated from unvaccinated migrant children housed at a vacant dormitory at Joint Base San Antonio – Lackland, Texas. The DOD last week approved a request for assistance from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to temporarily house unaccompanied migrant children at a vacant dormitory at Joint Base San Antonio – Lackland, Texas. The move comes as the number of unaccompanied immigrant minors at the southern U.S. border has surged under the Biden administration. The DOD also approved the construction of suitable temporary housing facility on area of land on Fort Bliss, Texas. There is some unease about potentially having children on a military base that have not been vaccinated. Army Lt. Gen. Ronald J. Place, director, Defense Health Agency, addressed the issue during a COVID-19 update Friday to the media at the Pentagon.
“There’s a lot of variables in that. I think that people can be uneasy about lots of different things, but the department’s position, as well as HHS’s position, is we understand that we’re in this as a partnership, we’re providing the location for them, but the protocols for — for separating our forces, our families from — from that particular population — significant effort is going into that to — to — to, you know, take into account that potential uneasiness of those two particular locations. So yes, we understand it, yes, we’re aware of it. We’re going to great efforts so — to keep them separate.”
-Army Lt. Gen. Ronald J. Place, director, Defense Health Agency
(credit: Gary Raynaldo / ©Diplomatic Times ) Army Lt. Gen. Ronald J. Place, director, Defense Health Agency, provide a COVID-19 update to the media in the Pentagon in Washington DC March 26, 2021.
Lt. Gen. Place added that explained that although the migrants will be on military bases, their entire care, feeding, et cetera and medical care, vaccinations — “whatever it might be will be under Health and Human Services. So we’re partnering with them to provide the location, but every aspect of it will be handled by HHS.”
The DOD will provide HHS officials access to the locations immediately to begin initial actions to prepare for receiving unaccompanied migrant children as soon as preparations are complete, according to Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby.
“This support will be on a fully-reimbursable basis, and will not negatively affect military training, operations, readiness, or other military requirements, including National Guard and Reserve readiness. HHS will maintain custody and responsibility for the well-being and support for these children at all times on the installation,” the Pentagon Press Secretary said.
In February, an estimated 9,297 unaccompanied minors came to the border. The highest number to arrive at the border during the administration of former President Donald Trump was 11,475 children in May 2019, according to data from U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP). The Border Patrol detained more than 11,000 unaccompanied migrant children between February 28 and March 20, according to preliminary government data reviewed by CNN, already eclipsing the number of minors apprehended in the full month of February.
