Critics Slam Use of New Jersey Military Base to Detain Migrants: 'An Abhorrent Use of That Vital Resource'

The Trump administration plans to use Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst in New Jersey to detain undocumented immigrants, a move that critics argue represents a troubling expansion of military involvement in immigration enforcement.

In a letter dated July 15, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth informed Rep. Herb Conaway (D-NJ) that the joint base, along with Camp Atterbury in Indiana, would be used "for temporary use by the Department of Homeland Security to house illegal aliens."

Hegseth stated the plan would not disrupt "military training, operations, readiness, or other military requirements."

Conaway, whose district includes the base, strongly objected to the development in an interview with NJ Spotlight News:

"It is an abhorrent use of that vital resource, our vital resource," he said. "This activity on the part of the administration people are rightly viewing with revulsion"

Conaway, a former Air Force medical officer, added that he does not know anything beyond the letter but that using the base for immigration detention purposes will get in the way of regular operations."It will interfere with readiness, it will interfere with military operations," he added.

The use of military infrastructure to expand migrant detention has been on the administration's radar since assuming office, as detailed by a New York Times report from February, which revealed plans to create a network of detention sites on military bases nationwide, with Fort Bliss in Texas designated as the central deportation hub.

The New Jersey base is one of at least a dozen sites being prepared for this purpose, along with locations in states like California, Colorado, and New York.

As the report points out, previous administrations have used military bases to temporarily house unaccompanied minors during capacity overflows, but the Trump administration's plan represents a significant shift toward using active military installations for adult detention and deportation processing.

The nationwide initiative is backed by $150 billion in new funding, including $45 billion allocated for expanding Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facilities. ICE currently operates 155 detention centers nationwide, including two in New Jersey—Delaney Hall and the Elizabeth Detention Center—both run by private contractors.

Conaway speculated that the joint base could be used as a staging point for increased ICE raids across the Northeast. "I think it may very well be that they're planning on having a base of operations for ICE raids in New Jersey, perhaps New York and Pennsylvania," he said.

The Defense Department and DHS have not publicly disclosed the criteria used to select the joint base or the expected number of detainees.