Immigrant detainees to be held at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst
U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth confirmed the department's intentions in a July 15 letter to U.S. Rep. Herb Conaway (D-3), who sits on the House Veterans' Affairs Committee and whose district includes portions of the 42,000-acre facility. The decision was first reported by NJ Spotlight News.
"I certify that the provision of Department of Defense real property at Camp Atterbury, Indiana and Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, New Jersey, for temporary use by the Department of Homeland Security to house illegal aliens will not negatively affect military training, operations, readiness, or other military requirements, including National Guard and Reserve readiness," Hegseth wrote.
Representatives for Conaway did not immediately return a request for comment.
According to the Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse, or TRAC, the Department of Homeland Security currently houses about 1,000 detained undocumented immigrants at two facilities in North Jersey — Delaney Hall in Newark and the Elizabeth Detention Center. TRAC is a nonpartisan research center that analyzes federal documents.
Delaney Hall, one of the largest immigrant detention centers in the Untied States, has been a regular site for protests since President Donald Trump was inaugurated in January.
In May, Newark Mayor Ras Baraka and U.S. Rep. LaMonica McIver (D-10) were arrested following incidents with Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers outside the facility. The case against Baraka was dismissed, but McIver was indicted on charges that she assaulted, resisted, impeded and interfered with federal officers.
More: NJ Rep. LaMonica McIver makes court appearance for assault charges in Newark ICE incident
It was not immediately clear how many undocumented immigrants would be detained at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst. A spokesperson for the base and the Department of Homeland Security did not immediately return requests for comment.
In February, the New York Times reported that the Trump Administration planned to hold undocumented immigrants at numerous military facilities across the country, specifically citing Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst. That initiative got a huge boost this month when Congress passed a spending bill that authorized $168 billion for immigration enforcement, a nearly fivefold increase from current spending.
More: See how ICE targets immigrants appearing at routine court hearings
Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst is the only tri-service military installation in the country, operated jointly by the U.S. Army, Navy and Air Force. It was created in a 2009 realignment that combined the operations of Fort Dix, McGuire Air Force Base and Naval Air Engineering Station Lakehurst.
The base is perhaps best known as the site of the 1937 Hindenburg disaster.
Mike Davis is an investigative reporter with the Asbury Park Press, where he's covered local news, politics, transportation and the cannabis industry. His work has changed laws, prompted government investigations and even won a few awards, which make his parents very proud. Contact him at mdavis@app.com, @byMikeDavis on social media platforms or send an encrypted message via Signal @bymikedavis.22.
This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Feds: Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst to hold immigrant detainees
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