WASHINGTON — US Senators Richard Shelby (R-Ala.) and Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.) on Monday responded to Yellowhammer’s exclusive report that the Obama Administration is considering housing unaccompanied illegal alien minors at Maxwell-Gunter Air Force Base in Montgomery.
The two senators, who have been among the most ardent opponents of President Obama’s immigration agenda, sent a letter to U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia Burwell expressing their strong objection to any plan to house illegal aliens in the state, particularly at the military installation.
“Instead of wasting resources searching for housing locations more than 900 miles away from our southern border, we firmly believe that the Administration should be expeditiously and humanely transporting these individuals back to their homes,” the senators wrote.
According to an email from a Pentagon staffer to the office of Congresswoman Martha Roby (R-AL2), the HHS is considering six Department of Defense facilities as possible temporary shelters.
In response, Rep. Roby wrote a letter to Secretary Burwell — cc’ing the Secretaries of Defense and Homeland Security — urging her to reject any proposal to select Maxwell as one of the housing locations.
Roby’s letter also referenced a previous instance in which HHS considered housing illegal immigrant children at the Center for Domestic Preparedness (CDP) in Anniston, Alabama.
Fierce opposition from Roby and Congressman Mike Rogers (R-AL3), among others, deterred HHS from ultimately sending any unaccompanied illegal immigrants to the state.
Monday’s letter from Shelby and Sessions, which can be read in full below, continues the state’s opposition to being a sanctuary for illegal immigrants.
Dear Secretary Burwell:
We write to express our strong objection to the Department of Health and Human Services’ consideration of Maxwell-Gunter Air Force Base (Maxwell) in Montgomery, Alabama, as a possible housing location for unaccompanied illegal alien minors.
As you are well aware, Maxwell is an active duty military installation that is home to Air Force Space Command, Air Force Material Command, the Defense Information Systems Agency, Air University, and the 908th Airlift Wing. Maxwell’s stated mission is to develop ‘mission-ready Airmen.’ As a nation that is currently at war, we believe that efforts to house, feed, and care for illegal immigrants at Maxwell would do nothing to prepare our men and women for combat, nor do anything to enhance the readiness of our armed forces, to which end the U.S. taxpayers have invested in this world-class installation. In fact, this added mission would be an unwelcome and unneeded distraction that will certainly interfere with, and possibly compromise, the critical work at Maxwell-Gunter.
President Obama’s refusal to enforce our nation’s immigration laws caused the situation that we currently face, and his decision to further reward lawlessness places additional undue burdens on Alabama communities, families, and workers. Executive amnesty pushed by the President had the completely foreseeable consequence of encouraging a spike in illegal immigrants, including children and minors.
Instead of wasting resources searching for housing locations more than 900 miles away from our southern border, we firmly believe that the Administration should be expeditiously and humanely transporting these individuals back to their homes.
In conclusion, we ask that you reject any proposals to house these illegal aliens at any military instillation in Alabama, including Maxwell-Gunter Air Force Base. Please feel free to contact either of our offices should you have any questions.”
