Military bases in New Jersey and Indiana are being repurposed to house undocumented migrants, igniting outrage from Democratic lawmakers who warn the move could compromise national security and militarize immigration policy.
The Department of Homeland Security, with authorization from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, will soon establish “temporary soft-sided holding facilities” at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst in New Jersey and Camp Atterbury in Indiana, according to a Defense Department statement to Fox News Digital.
The decision has drawn fierce criticism from a coalition of New Jersey Democrats, who argue the plan risks degrading military readiness while turning the armed forces into instruments of domestic immigration enforcement.
“This is an inappropriate use of our national defense system and militarizes a radical immigration policy,” the lawmakers said in a joint statement. “It has already resulted in inhumane treatment of undocumented immigrants and even the unlawful deportation of U.S. citizens — including children — across the country.”
The group, including Reps. Herb Conaway, LaMonica McIver, Donald Norcross, Rob Menendez, Frank Pallone, Bonnie Watson Coleman, Josh Gottheimer, Nellie Pou, and Senators Cory Booker and Andy Kim, called on Republicans to help reverse the decision. “We have the greatest military in the world — using it as a domestic political tool is unacceptable and shameful,” they added.
Both military bases have previously been used for humanitarian housing: following the 2021 U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, they hosted thousands of Afghan refugees. But critics argue this latest plan shifts from humanitarian support to enforcement, especially in the wake of new federal policy.
The timeline for activating the facilities remains uncertain, with the Defense Department stating that it depends on operational needs and coordination with DHS.
Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst — the nation’s only tri-service base run by the Air Force, Army, and Navy — spans 42,000 acres and supports 45,000 personnel, making it one of the largest and most vital military installations on the East Coast. Camp Atterbury, a 34,000-acre training hub for Army and Air National Guard near Edinburgh, Indiana, has been used for large-scale operations and training brigades.
Defense Secretary Hegseth, in a letter to Rep. Conaway, claimed the facilities would not interfere with ongoing military operations, readiness, or training.
New Jersey already hosts two private immigration detention centers — Delaney Hall and the Elizabeth Detention Center. Tensions flared at Delaney Hall in May, when Newark Mayor Ras Baraka was arrested for trespassing during a protest. Rep. McIver was also later charged with interfering with federal agents in the same incident.
This latest development comes just weeks after President Donald Trump signed the “Big Beautiful Bill” into law — a sweeping immigration enforcement package allocating up to $170 billion for border security and deportations. Nearly $45 billion is earmarked to expand detention capacity as the administration ramps up what it calls the largest deportation campaign in American history.
Earlier this month, a controversial migrant detention site opened in the Florida Everglades — surrounded by swamp and dubbed “Alligator Alcatraz” by critics — further highlighting the administration’s aggressive new approach.