Malliotakis, Carter Introduce Legislation to Prohibit Migrant Shelters on U.S. Military Bases

(WASHINGTON, DC) - Today Congresswoman Nicole Malliotakis (NY-11) and Congressman John Carter (TX-31) introduced legislation to prevent migrants from being housed on military bases located in the United States by prohibiting the use of federal funds to facilitate such shelter. The legislation comes after New York Governor Kathy Hochul requested President Biden use military installations and other federal lands across the Northeast to house migrants, like what was done at military bases during the Obama Administration.

"Protecting the safety of our residents and our national security should be a top priority for every elected official from the local level all the way up to President Biden," Malliotakis said. "Allowing unvetted migrants from all over the world to be placed on our military installations would not only cause irreparable damage to the sites themselves, but jeopardize the critical national security operations underway to keep our citizens safe. That's why I've introduced legislation to prohibit federal funds from being used to house migrants on our military bases and federal park land so we can prioritize the safety and security of American citizens - something Democrats are refusing to do." 

Malliotakis has also introduced legislation that would prevent the city, state and federal government from placing a migrant shelters on U.S. park land, including Staten Island's Fort Wadsworth, one of the oldest military installations in the U.S. that currently serves as a domicile and an operational base for members of the U.S. Coast Guard and the U.S. Park Police. She has also joined a bipartisan group of local elected officials in opposing the use of Forth Wadsworth as a migrant shelter, along with St. John Villa Academy and the former Island Shores Senior Residences. 

“As the crisis at the border explodes, the Biden administration is looking to house the overflow of illegal immigrants on America’s military installations,” said Representative Carter. “President Biden’s failures shouldn’t be the burden of our service members or their families. Housing illegal immigrants on military installations detracts from the military’s mission to protect the homeland and is not a suitable solution to handle the border crisis. Instead, this administration needs to focus on stopping the flow and securing the border, not providing them housing at the expense of our military.” 

Malliotakis is a cosponsor of H.R.2, the Secure the Border Act of 2023, legislation House Republicans passed in May that would require DHS to resume construction of the southern border wall, increase the number of Border Patrol agents, reform the asylum process and mandate the use of E-Verify, and prohibit the release of illegal immigrants apprehended at the southern border into the United States.