Governor Mary Fallin Tours Immigrant Housing At Fort Sill

Governor Mary Fallin gets a look inside the Fort Sill army barracks housing hundreds of immigrant children.

The tour, by the invitation of department of Health and Human Services, is a glimpse of what's going on, on the post.

Governor Fallin grilled the Obama administration's land policy on securing the border, which she says is causing the illegal immigration crisis right here in Oklahoma.

"We asked a lot of questions today," said Gov. Fallin.

6/17/2014 Related Story: Lawton Police: Feds Want Cops To Secure Fort Sill Immigrant Children

The Governor addresses the media on what she saw at Fort Sill. Hundreds of undocumented children mostly teenagers between the ages of 12 and 17 are being housed on the post.

"We asked how long will the children be here in Fort Sill on the military installation. They said they are supposed to be here for 120 days," said Gov. Fallin.

But the governor says if there's no strict border control, children will continue to cross the border illegally.

"What makes us think that it's only going to be 120 days. It's only going to get worse, years on end here in the United States," said Gov. Fallin.

Gov. Fallin was able to get a close look at the housing facilities where the children and teenagers are sleeping, and eating.

6/9/2014 Related Story: State Leaders Question Immigration Shelter At Fort Sill

The first thing she says she noticed on the way inside was an 8 foot, mile and a half long chain link security fence around were the undocumented children are being housed.

"There is a private entity that has been contracted to set up the beds, the food, the security, the case managers health clinics. They seem to have done a great job," said Gov. Fallin.

The goal is to reunite the children with their families across the country.

"And then we asked what about those that didn't have a family member or an acquaintance here, and they said, well they would go through the court proceeding to send them back home," said Gov. Fallin.

Nearly 600 children have already arrived at Fort Sill with more on the way.

The White House is sending Vice President Joe Biden to Central America to caution against illegally crossing the border.