Martha Roby, Richard Shelby: Housing immigrant detainees at Maxwell-Gunter AFB ill-advised

Republican U.S. Rep. Martha Roby had harsh words for an Obama administration plan to evaluate the feasibility of housing undocumented immigrant minors at Maxwell-Gunter Air Force Bace in Montgomery as they await deportation.

Roby on Wednesday called the plan, proposed by the federal Department of Health and Human Services, a “terrible idea,” and vowed to oppose it.

“The Air Force personnel at Maxwell-Gunter, like members of the U.S. Military stationed at bases throughout the country, are working hard to keep America safe. That mission is challenging enough without the added responsibility of housing, feeding and securing detainees,” Roby wrote.

Roby pointed to her past advocacy on the issue, saying she helped “shut down” a past attempt to house immigrants detained at the Mexican border along with the Alabama delegation, and that they are “working every angle to shut it down again.”

U.S. Sen. Richard Shelby also registered his displeasure with the proposal in an announcement.

“This Administration has once again ignored what is in the best interest of the American people. The decision to assess the possibility of housing illegal immigrants at Department of Defense facilities, like Maxwell-Gunter Air Force Base, will only exacerbate our illegal immigration problem by not enforcing the laws on the books,” said Shelby, Alabama’s senior senator.

“President Obama’s disregard for the rule of law and his attempt to push executive amnesty has led us to where we are today,” Shelby inveighed. “I remain steadfast in my opposition to illegal immigration, and I will fight against allowing those who break our laws to be housed at Maxwell-Gunter Air Force Base.”