Pentagon officials decline Trump's request to build facilities to house detained migrants

Pentagon officials declined a preliminary Trump administration request for the U.S. military to build facilities to house detained migrants as part of its new mission on the Mexican border, U.S. officials said.

The disclosure by U.S. officials, who spoke to Reuters on condition of anonymity, illustrates the tension within the administration over using military resources to fortify the border against illegal immigration, a top election issue for President Donald Trump's base.

Last week, the military announced that over 7,000 troops would go to the border with Mexico as a caravan of Central American migrants slowly heads toward the United States.