The Department of Health and Human Services is reportedly reviewing a number of military bases and assessing their suitability as shelters for migrant children who have been separated from their parents.

The Department of Health and Human Services is reportedly reviewing a number of military bases and assessing their suitability as shelters for migrant children who have been separated from their parents. According to the Washington Post, that information was included in an email sent by that department to the Pentagon.  The message is also said to have noted that site visits will include "four military installations in Texas and Arkansas."
The Post reports that in addition to outlining the plan, the email suggests that the Trump administration intends to continue separating families that illegally cross the border.  Further, the administration's decision to criminally charge adults who enter the U.S. without proper permissions is expected to significantly increase the number of children who need housing.  As the New York Times notes, "The child cannot remain with a parent in the criminal court system."  Meanwhile, White House Chief of Staff John Kelly recently said during an interview with NPR that separating families is intended as a deterrent.  "The children will be taken care of — put into foster care or whatever," he also stated. "But the big point is they elected to come illegally into the United States and this is a technique that no one hopes will be used extensively or for very long."  Officials with a variety of pediatric and child welfare organizations disagree, writing in an affidavit filed with an ACLU lawsuit, "Separation from family leaves children more vulnerable to exploitation and abuse, no matter what the care setting. In addition, traumatic separation from parents creates toxic stress in children and adolescents that can profoundly impact their development."