Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth informed Congress this week that Camp Atterbury in Indiana and Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst in New Jersey could be used to temporarily detain immigrants under President Trump’s immigration crackdown. The administration aims to expand detention capacity from 60,000 to 100,000 beds, with Hegseth saying the military operations at the bases would not be impacted.
Trump’s aggressive deportation push has led to increased detentions, including of individuals with no criminal history, prompting a need for expanded housing. White House border czar Tom Homan said officials are “looking for any available bed space” that meets federal standards.
Democratic lawmakers and civil liberties advocates from both states strongly opposed the plan. Rep. Andre Carson (D-IN) raised concerns about detainee conditions, while New Jersey’s Democratic delegation argued the move could undermine military readiness. The ACLU of New Jersey called the use of military bases for civil detention a “dangerous precedent.” Both bases have previously sheltered refugees from Afghanistan and Ukraine.
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