Following promises of mass deportations, President Donald Trump is now planning to detain undocumented immigrants at military sites across the country. The New York Times reports his team is starting with a “deportation hub” set to hold up to 10,000 individuals at Fort Bliss in El Paso, Texas. But that’s just the blueprint. Trump plans to create similar detention sites across the country—from New York to Utah. Thousands of immigrants might remain in these complexes while they go through the deportation process. Although it’s still in beginning stages, Trump’s officials are planning to ramp up the project and divert military resources to its expansion. They claim that there’s a lack of space at Immigration and Customs Enforcement facilities and intend to create a countrywide network of holding sites. Immigration advocacy organizations are expressing concerns over the proposal, citing historic cases of abuse and negligence at deportation centers. In the past, military bases have solely served as urgent backup when shelters overflow, holding mostly teenagers. There, the minors suffered panic attacks and other mental trauma due to a lack of preparedness from the officials watching them. Some were held there for two months. The project reveals a substantial increase in the government’s plan to militarize immigration enforcement. Now, as Trump releases videos of immigrants in shackles and forces migrants into Guantánamo Bay, he’s intensifying his efforts to expel thousands of families who once sought refuge in the United States. The Daily Beast has reached out to the Trump Administration for comment.
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