Latest news with #HerbConaway
CBS News
6 days ago
- Politics
- CBS News
New Jersey's Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst to be used for immigrant detention
Congressional democrats in New Jersey are condemning the U.S. Defense Department for agreeing to a request by the Department of Homeland Security to set up temporary immigrant detention facilities at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst. The military facility is in both Burlington and Ocean counties. A defense department spokesperson said the timeline will depend on operational requirements and coordination with DHS. New Jersey Congressman Herb Conaway posted a video on Facebook denouncing the plan. The video's caption reads in part, "I received a letter from Secretary Hegseth that Joint Base McGuire in NJ is opening a ICE detention center on its base. First they made Alligator Alcatraz. Now… it's the Garden State Gulag. Our military's forces should not be carrying this burden. It's an inappropriate use of military resources and an escalation of an immigration policy that has seen inhumane conditions of detaining undocumented immigrants. The last thing I want to see are these kinds of conditions in our state." "Every criminal alien we arrest on the street before we deport them, they need a bed. Because it takes several days, several weeks, several months actually to move them," said White House Border Czar, Tom Hohman, earlier on Friday, telling the media he wants 100,000 beds. A spokesperson for the New Jersey Governor's Office said Gov. Phil Murphy also stands against the temporary immigrant detention plan at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst. "The Governor opposes any effort by the Trump Administration to use Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst as an immigration detention center. He believes this is a gross misuse of U.S. military resources."
Bloomberg
6 days ago
- Politics
- Bloomberg
New Jersey Base Set to House Migrant Detainees, Pentagon Says
The Trump administration will temporarily house migrants at military bases in New Jersey and Indiana, according to a letter sent to Congress, deepening the Pentagon's role in a historic expansion of immigration enforcement. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth signed off on a plan allowing Immigration and Customs Enforcement to use Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst — southeast of Trenton — to house migrants, according to a letter sent to Representative Herb Conaway, whose district includes the installation.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Immigrant detainees to be held at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst
LAKEHURST - The Department of Defense intends to house detained undocumented immigrants at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, according to federal officials. 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@ @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 Solve the daily Crossword
