By Brandon Moseley
Alabama Political Reporter
Friday, June 3, 2016, the US Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) at the Department of Health and Human Services, where unaccompanied illegal immigrant minors could potentially be housed at Naval Outlying Fields in Silverhill and Orange Beach, Alabama, US Senator Richard Shelby (R-Alabama), Alabama Governor Robert Bentley (R), and US Representative Bradley Byrne (R-Montrose) announced that they would oppose President Obama’s resettlement plans.
Sen. Shelby said, “The Obama Administration has once again shown an interest in potentially using Alabama’s military installations as temporary housing for illegal immigrants. These Department of Defense properties should be used for those men and women working to keep our nation safe – not to house illegal immigrants.”
Congressman Bryne said in his own statement, “I have learned that the Department of Health and Human Services is analyzing whether or not to house Unaccompanied Alien Children (UAC) at Navy airfields in Baldwin County. I oppose these efforts because it is not in the best interest of the children or our military. These airfields were not designed to house anyone, especially young children. My office will work to prevent this flawed proposal from becoming anything more than just a suggestion.”
Sen. Shelby said, “President Obama’s blatant disregard for our immigration laws has led us to this point, and we must not allow his actions to burden our nation’s military and local communities. I will fight against any attempts to allow those who break our laws to be housed at Alabama’s military facilities, and I urge the Administration to humanely and expeditiously transport these individuals back to their homes.”
Gov. Bentley said, “The Federal government is once again usurping the authority of Alabama in its effort to relocate unaccompanied minors,” Governor Robert Bentley said. “It is actions like this that led me to file a lawsuit in January against the federal government refugee resettlement program. While I am extremely sympathetic to the needs of unaccompanied minors, as Governor of Alabama, I feel strongly that states should .play an active role in the decision making process.”
Shelby said that his office was alerted today by the Office of Refugee Resettlement at the Department of Health and Human Services that unaccompanied illegal immigrant minors could potentially be housed at Naval Outlying Fields in Silverhill and Orange Beach, Alabama.
Sen. Shelby said, “These Department of Defense properties should be used for those men and women working to keep our nation safe – not to house illegal immigrants.”
Tens of thousands of illegal aliens are flooding to the US Southern border to take advantage of an Obama Administration policy to not turn back minors who reach the border. Congress has opposed that policy but the President has implemented it in defiance of the Congress’s wishes.
