Democrats Slam Trump Plan to House Migrants in New Jersey, Indiana Military Bases

In a controversial move that has sparked outrage among Democratic lawmakers, the Department of Homeland Security, under the Trump administration, plans to transform parts of military bases in New Jersey and Indiana into temporary holding facilities for illegal immigrants. Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst in New Jersey and Camp Atterbury in Indiana, both critical military installations, will soon serve as soft-sided detention centers, according to the Defense Department.

This decision, spearheaded by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, has drawn sharp criticism from New Jersey Democrats, including prominent figures like Senators Cory Booker and Andy Kim, as well as several representatives. They argue that repurposing military bases for immigration detention not only jeopardizes national defense readiness but also militarizes what they call a radical and inhumane immigration policy. In a joint statement, they condemned the move as a shameful misuse of the world’s greatest military for domestic political agendas.

Both bases have historical precedent for such use, having housed thousands of Afghan refugees after the 2021 U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan. Yet, the current plan ties into a broader and more aggressive immigration enforcement strategy under President Donald Trump. Just weeks ago, Trump signed the Big Beautiful Bill into law, allocating massive funds—between $150 billion and $170 billion—for immigration enforcement, with $45 billion specifically earmarked for expanding detention facilities.

Adding fuel to the fire, the administration recently opened a notorious detention site in Florida’s Everglades, grimly nicknamed Alligator Alcatraz, surrounded by natural predators as a deterrent. While the operational timeline for the New Jersey and Indiana facilities remains unclear, the Defense Department insists that military training and readiness will not be compromised—a claim met with skepticism by critics.

This policy continues to polarize, reflecting deeper tensions over immigration in America. New Jersey, already home to privately operated detention centers like Delaney Hall and Elizabeth Detention Center, has seen clashes between local leaders and federal authorities, including the arrest of Newark Mayor Ras Baraka during a protest. As the nation braces for what the administration calls the largest deportation operation in history, the question remains: where do we draw the line between security and humanity?