Democrats fume over new plan to house illegal migrants in New Jersey, Indiana military bases

Military bases in both New Jersey and Indiana will soon be used by Homeland Security to house illegal immigrants, drawing a furious response from Democratic lawmakers.

Parts of Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst in New Jersey and Camp Atterbury in Indiana will be repurposed and used as “temporary soft-sided holding facilities,” the Defense Department told Fox News Digital, citing a decision by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.

New Jersey Democrats blasted the decision, warning it would harm military readiness and urging Republicans to join them in helping reverse it. Both bases were previously used to house thousands of Afghan refugees following the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021.

“This is an inappropriate use of our national defense system and militarizes a radical immigration policy that has resulted in the inhumane treatment of undocumented immigrants and unlawful deportation of U.S. citizens, including children, across the country,” the group of Democrats said in a joint statement.

“Using our country’s military to detain and hold undocumented immigrants jeopardizes military preparedness and paves the way for ICE immigration raids in every New Jersey community. We have the greatest military in the world and using it as a domestic political tool is unacceptable and shameful.”

The statement was made by Reps. Herb Conaway, LaMonica McIver, Donald Norcross, Rob Menendez, Frank Pallone, Bonnie Watson Coleman, Josh Gottheimer and Nellie Pou as well as Sens. Cory Booker and Andy Kim.

It is unclear when either site will open and a decision will depend on operational requirements and coordination with Homeland Security, the Defense Department said.

Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst is a joint military base operated by U.S. Air Force, Army and Navy — the only tri-service base in the country. Spanning 42,00 acres, it’s home to 45,000 military and civilian personnel, making it one of the largest and most strategically important on the East Coast.

Camp Atterbury is an Army and Air National Guard base near Edinburgh that spans 34,000 acres and has been used for training brigades and hosting large-scale operations.

Under the Trump administration, Homeland Security has been using detention facilities to house migrants while they await asylum hearings or deportation.

The lawmakers said that Hegseth wrote to Conoway informing him of the decision. Hegseth wrote in the letter that the move would not negatively affect military training, operations, readiness, or any other military requirements, per NJ Spotlight News.

New Jersey is already home to Delaney Hall and the Elizabeth Detention Center which are being used as immigration detention facilities, although they are privately operated. Delaney Hall was the scene where Democrat Newark Mayor Ras Baraka was arrested and charged with trespassing in a clash with federal immigration officials in May. Rep. LaMonica McIver, D‑N.J., was later federally charged for allegedly interfering with federal officers during the same incident.

The news comes two weeks after President Donald Trump signed the Big Beautiful Bill into law, which allocated between $150 billion and $170 billion towards immigration enforcement over the next several years, $45 billion of which was carved out to expand immigration detention facilities. The funds are part of the Trump administration’s efforts to carry out the largest deportation operation in the nation’s history.

Earlier this month, the Trump administration opened an immigration detention camp in Florida’s Everglades that is surrounded by alligators dubbed “Alligator Alcatraz.”

Related Posts

The 5-month-old baby who was hit by a .… See more

The 5-month-old baby who was hit by a .… See more

In a heartbreaking incident that has left a community in shock, a 5-month-old baby was critically injured after being struck by a stray bullet. The tragedy has…

Your little finger reveals beautiful things about your personality👆🏻

Your little finger reveals beautiful things about your personality👆🏻

Your little finger might appear to be the smallest and least significant part of your hand, yet throughout history, people have linked it to meaning, symbolism, and…

After Years of Hosting Christmas Alone, I Finally Had to Stop

After Years of Hosting Christmas Alone, I Finally Had to Stop

For years, hosting Christmas felt less like a choice and more like an expectation. My home was the largest, so it automatically became the gathering place. Every…

Reports here, unbelievable earthquake

Reports here, unbelievable earthquake

A powerful 8.2 magnitude earthquake struck the Alaskan Peninsula late Wednesday, triggering tsunami warnings and intense monitoring across the Pacific region. The quake occurred at a depth…

100 Minnesota Mayors Blast Tim Walz as Fraud Scandal Explodes

100 Minnesota Mayors Blast Tim Walz as Fraud Scandal Explodes

Nearly 100 Minnesota Mayors Warn State Fiscal Policies Are Straining Cities Nearly 100 Minnesota mayors have united to send a formal letter to Governor Tim Walz and state…

Body found confirmed to be that

Body found confirmed to be that

A father walked into his Chicago home and straight into hell. Six loved ones, including two children, lay lifeless in what police called a “sea of blood.”…