Officials in Lawton say the temporary housing of hundreds of immigrant children at Fort Sill and the influx of workers to take care of them could infuse millions of dollars into the local economy.
Administration for Children and Families spokesman Kenneth Wolfe said 524 children were being held at Fort Sill on Wednesday. The children are mostly teenagers from Central America. They are among the more than 47,000 unaccompanied minors taken into custody at the border since October.
Wolfe said federal staff and contract workers are at the facility.
Lawton Fort Sill Chamber of Commerce president Barry Albrecht says his office is still analyzing the economic impact, but he thinks it could be as much as $3 million per month based on a multiplier effect.
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