Governor Bentley Expresses Concern on Alabama Being Considered as a Shelter Location for Unaccompanied Minors

MONTGOMERY–Governor Robert Bentley on Friday was informed that Alabama has been identified by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as a potential location to shelter unaccompanied minors from Central America.

HHS is scheduling site assessments at two Alabama locations next week to determine the feasibility of utilizing the locations for semi-permanent shelters for unaccompanied minors from Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala. The locations are part of the Naval Air Station Whiting Field with Alabama air fields in Silverhill and Orange Beach.

“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.”

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