The Trump administration is considering a plan to house migrant children at Fort Benning, a busy military base in Georgia, a Department of Defense spokesman told NBC News.

The Department of Health and Human Services, the agency responsible for sheltering immigrant children who cross the border without their parents, is currently operating near capacity, resulting in a backlog of children staying in overcrowded border stations.

Two sources familiar with a recent meeting on the proposal said the children would be housed away from the rest of the population but still on base. Fort Benning is a bustling military base that is home to the 75th Ranger Regiment and where thousands of young men and women go through basic training.

Since the closure of the tent facility for migrant children in Tornillo, Texas, in January, HHS has been under pressure to find alternative bed space to shelter the rising number of children crossing the border. With few contractors willing to take on the task, state facilities and military land are becoming more likely options, according to a former HHS official.

Read More