Old Concord Base Seen As Possible Site To House Detained Immigrants

CONCORD (CBS SF) – The old Concord Naval Weapons Station has reportedly been mentioned by U.S. Navy officials as a possible site to house tens of thousands of immigrants who have entered the country illegally.

Located in the East Bay, the former base was listed among several facilities in the country to house detained migrants, according to a Navy document obtained by Time Magazine.

The memo proposed a camp that could house as many as 47,000 people at the former Naval Weapons Station.

Capt. Greg Hicks, the Navy's chief spokesman, declined to provide details on the matter, telling the magazine, "It would be inappropriate to discuss internal deliberative planning documents."

Rep. Mark DeSaulnier (D), whose district includes Concord, condemned the proposal.

"STOP! The Administration needs to take a time out. This is no way to effectuate intelligent immigration policy, including for those seeking asylum. This is absolute madness and I oppose it wholeheartedly," DeSaulnier said in a written statement. "If the Administration wants to have a rational dialogue about fixing our immigration system, I am happy to do that, but making up immigration policy on the fly is just wrong. We will fight this in every way we can."

Officials also proposed a camp housing up to 47,000 additional migrants at Camp Pendleton in Southern California.

Additional "temporary and austere" tent cities housing 25,000 migrants at naval facilities in Alabama and Florida were also mentioned in the memo.