SAN ANTONIO, Tx — The Trump administration has announced that Joint Base Lackland in San Antonio will be used again to house migrants as part of a newly designated national defense area in South Texas.
The plan will support the administration's goal of detaining 3,000 migrants daily. While it's unclear how many migrants will be housed at Lackland or for how long, officials have indicated the arrangement is intended to be temporary.
This isn't the first time the base has been used for this purpose. In 2014, Lackland housed migrants who were going through the deportation process.
The national defense area covers approximately 250 miles along the Rio Grande in Cameron and Hidalgo counties. The Air Force will manage the area as part of Joint Base San Antonio.
Experts say using the military for support roles in this capacity is completely legal, as long as active service members are not making the initial arrests.
The South Texas zone will be one of two new national defense areas. The other will be established in Yuma, Arizona, also along the border with Mexico.
