Hegseth Reveals Plan to Detain Immigrants in Indiana, NJ Military Bases/ Newslooks/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ Morning Edition/ Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced plans to detain immigrants at military bases in Indiana and New Jersey as part of President Trump’s expanded deportation efforts. The move has drawn backlash from lawmakers and civil rights advocates, who fear it undermines military readiness and constitutional protections. The administration aims to increase nationwide detention capacity to 100,000 beds.
Military Bases for Immigrant Detention: Quick Looks
- Defense Secretary Hegseth proposes immigrant detention at two U.S. bases
- Camp Atterbury (IN) and Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst (NJ) selected
- Trump targets 100,000 detention beds for immigration enforcement
- Current ICE bed capacity estimated at 60,000
- Administration says military operations won’t be affected
- Democrats and civil rights groups condemn the proposal
- ACLU warns of dangerous precedent and constitutional concerns
- Hegseth: no specific date set for detainee transfers
- Both bases previously used to house refugees
- Plan mirrors tactics from both Trump and Obama eras
Deep Look: Hegseth Proposes Housing Immigrant Detainees at Military Bases in Indiana and New Jersey
WASHINGTON — U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has informed Congress of a controversial new proposal: housing thousands of detained immigrants at military bases in Indiana and New Jersey as part of President Donald Trump’s intensified immigration crackdown.
The plan would utilize Camp Atterbury in Indiana and Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst in New Jersey to temporarily detain individuals picked up under the administration’s aggressive deportation policy. According to Hegseth, this can be done without disrupting military training or operations.
While no firm date has been announced, the move signals a significant step toward expanding the use of military infrastructure for civilian immigration enforcement, drawing fierce backlash from lawmakers and civil liberties advocates.
Expanding Detention Infrastructure
The proposal comes as Trump’s immigration agenda escalates, including efforts to detain and deport non-citizens without prior criminal records. The administration is reportedly seeking to expand national detention capacity from 60,000 to 100,000 beds, according to Tom Homan, Trump’s border czar.
“The faster we get the beds, the more people we can take off the street,” Homan said Friday.
Homan emphasized that the administration is evaluating any available bed space that meets federal detention standards.
Base Selection and Past Use
Both military installations chosen — Camp Atterbury and Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst — have previously housed Afghan and Ukrainian refugees, making them viable options in terms of infrastructure and logistical support.
Under Trump’s first term, bases such as Fort Bliss and Goodfellow Air Force Base in Texas were used to detain immigrant children. Similarly, under President Obama, military facilities were briefly repurposed to handle a surge in Central American families crossing the U.S.-Mexico border.
Legal and Political Pushback
The announcement has triggered immediate opposition. Democratic lawmakers from Indiana and New Jersey issued statements condemning the use of military resources for immigrant detention, arguing it would divert focus from defense readiness and risk normalizing mass internment practices.
“Using our country’s military to detain and hold undocumented immigrants jeopardizes military preparedness,” said New Jersey’s Democratic delegation.
Rep. Andre Carson (D-IN) echoed concerns, saying his questions to the administration about conditions for detainees have gone unanswered.
“The fact that ICE has detained so many individuals that they now need to expand detention space in Indiana is disturbing,” Carson stated.
The ACLU of New Jersey also issued a strong warning, calling the proposal a violation of constitutional values and a dangerous precedent.
“Housing immigrants in military facilities is contrary to the values embedded in our Constitution,” said Amol Sinha, ACLU-NJ’s executive director.
A Growing Divide on Immigration Enforcement
The news follows a series of legal and policy battles surrounding immigration enforcement. Earlier this year, a judge blocked a private prison operator from housing ICE detainees in Kansas, while individual immigrants like Mahmoud Khalil have been fighting their detention and deportation cases in court.
While the Trump administration defends its actions as necessary for national security, critics argue the current wave of detentions — many involving individuals without criminal records — constitutes government overreach and a threat to civil liberties.
What Comes Next?
Although officials haven’t revealed when detainees might begin arriving at the bases, or whether additional military installations are under consideration, the infrastructure plans suggest a long-term shift toward militarized immigration enforcement.
As the U.S. approaches another election cycle, immigration policy is again front and center, with Trump doubling down on mass deportations and detention — and opponents fighting back through legislation, legal action, and public protest.
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