Pentagon helped ensure that its mission was tailored to providing support only to US government personnel on the border

The US military declined a draft request from the Department of Homeland Security last month to build housing for detained migrants, during early discussions in the Trump administration about the military’s role on the border, according to officials.

'Cities of tents': Trump heightens anti-immigrant rhetoric at White House Read more

By voicing its opposition, the Pentagon helped ensure that its mission was tailored to providing support only to government personnel on the border.

After initial discussions about the issue, there was no mention of troops building migrant housing facilities when the DHS later made a formal request to the Pentagon for help on the border, the officials said.

Trump then said in a speech at the White House last week that he plans to build “massive cities of tents” to detain migrants, who would be held in those facilities indefinitely while the authorities weighs their asylum request. The president thanked the Army Corps of Engineers for their help, without giving details of their activities or specifying whether any tents have yet been erected on military bases to accommodate migrants apprehended after crossing the border. There has been speculation, however, that the huge Fort Bliss military base in El Paso, Texas, could be a prime target.

Meanwhile, Gen Terrence O’Shaughnessy, the head of US Northern Command, which is overseeing the deployment, told reporters last week that there were no plans at the moment for the US military to build lodging for migrants.

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“The requests that we have from the Department of Homeland Security and CBP [Customs and Border Protection] is to build [facilities] to support CBP personnel and our military personnel,” he said.

As of Monday, US officials told Reuters that about 4,800 troops participating in the mission “Operation Faithful Patriot” are near the border. It was unclear how many had taken up missions on the border, which will include support tasks like building housing for Customs and Border Protection personnel, and erecting barriers.

One US official cautioned that a previous Trump administration request dating back to the spring for national guard troops to build facilities for migrants on military bases was still being deliberated. But, the official noted, that was not expected to be part of Faithful Patriot and the timing of any such future mission was unclear.

Trump’s push to send the military to the border comes ahead of Tuesday’s midterm elections and has triggered sharp reactions, with critics calling it a political stunt that misuses US military resources.

However, Trump’s effort has been embraced by Republicans running in the elections, in which illegal immigration is a top issue.