The claim: Military bases in United States are housing undocumented immigrants

A record number of migrants trying to cross the southern U.S. border with Mexico throughout 2021 combined with the COVID-19 pandemic to create a space crunch at facilities that process and house immigrants.

About two months into his term, President Joe Biden announced his administration would reopen temporary shelters to hold the increasing number of unaccompanied children entering the United States.

But a Facebook post mischaracterizes what some of these facilities do.

"I was told that some of our military installations were housing illegals," a Dec. 6 Facebook post reads.

"Wait, I can't walk on to a military base here in Belleville. Scotts AF Base is 7 miles from me. But, illegals can be there? Can you say security breaches?" the same user commented in her post.

The post has received more than 2,000 reactions in a few weeks.

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It's true that some military bases are being used as housing for undocumented migrants. But this has been happening for decades, mainly during times when detention centers or other designated shelters have been at capacity – as was the case in 2021.

These facilities are only used as temporary housing to avoid overcrowding; they aren't converted into full-time immigration detention or housing centers.

USA TODAY reached out to the user who posted the claim for comment.

Parts of some bases...

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