Fort Sill is one of several military bases being considered to house children who came to the United States to escape the turmoil in Central America.
While the issue may be controversial for many, if selected, this would not be the first time Fort Sill has housed unaccompanied minors. From June to August of 2014, more than 1,800 undocumented children were brought to the army base.
Last year, 49,100 UAC (unaccompanied alien children) were referred for services by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Because the number of UACs fluctuate throughout the year, the Office of Refugee Resettlement maintains a mix of “standard” beds that are available year-round and “temporary” beds that can be added or reduced as needed.
In FY2018, about 73% of all children referred were over 14 years of age, and over 71% were boys. In FY2018, countries of origin of youth in this program were approximate as follows: Guatemala (54%); El Salvador (12%); Honduras (26%); and other (8%).
A final announcement from the Secretary of the Army could come as early as this week. No timeline was given as to when the children would arrive at Fort Sill if the base is selected.