Federal Officials Open Fort Sill Immigrant Shelter To Media

Federal officials plan to allow members of the media to tour a temporary shelter at Fort Sill that is being used to house more than 1,000 mostly teenage immigrants from Central America.

Participants in the tour Thursday afternoon at the Army post in southwest Oklahoma are heavily restricted and are prohibited from taking pictures, asking questions or interacting with staff or children at the shelter.

It is the first time members of the media have been allowed inside the facility at Fort Sill since it began receiving children last month who had been caught at the U.S.-Mexico border trying to enter the country illegally.

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services officials say there currently are 1,069 minors at the converted Army barracks on the post.

News 9’s Kelly Ogle will be visiting the immigrant shelter set up at Fort Sill on Thursday. Tune in for his behind-the-scenes tour on News 9 beginning at 4 p.m.