Homeland Security will use parts of Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst (NJ) and Camp Atterbury (IN) as “temporary soft-sided” holding facilities for migrants, per a Defense Department decision attributed to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. The Pentagon said timing will depend on operational needs and coordination with DHS.
New Jersey Democrats blasted the plan as a misuse of military installations that could harm readiness and “militarize” immigration policy. Both bases previously housed Afghan evacuees; JB MDL is the nation’s only tri-service base, and Camp Atterbury has long supported large training operations.
Lawmakers said Hegseth assured Rep. Herb Conaway the move wouldn’t impact training or readiness. New Jersey already hosts privately run immigration detention sites—Delaney Hall and the Elizabeth Detention Center—where recent clashes with federal officials drew headlines.
The expansion aligns with President Trump’s recently signed “Big Beautiful Bill,” steering roughly $150–$170 billion to immigration enforcement, including about $45 billion to grow detention capacity. Earlier this month, the administration also opened a controversial Everglades facility nicknamed “Alligator Alcatraz.”
