The Department of Homeland Security has announced plans to repurpose military bases in New Jersey and Indiana—Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst and Camp Atterbury—as temporary facilities to house undocumented immigrants. This decision, ordered by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, has sparked significant backlash from New Jersey Democrats, who argue it compromises military readiness and misuses national defense resources.

A group of Democratic lawmakers—including Senators Cory Booker and Andy Kim and several members of Congress—condemned the move in a joint statement, calling it a militarization of immigration policy. They claim it sets a dangerous precedent for future ICE raids and undermines the military’s core mission. Critics argue the action is politically motivated and inhumane, despite similar uses of these bases during the 2021 Afghan refugee crisis, which many Democrats supported at the time.

The Defense Department clarified that no official opening dates have been set for either base, as operations are still being coordinated with DHS. Both military facilities are large and strategically significant: McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst spans 42,000 acres and supports over 45,000 personnel, while Camp Atterbury has long been used for major military training exercises.

New Jersey already operates two private immigration detention centers. One, Delaney Hall, was the site of a highly publicized confrontation in May involving Newark’s mayor and state representative LaMonica McIver, both of whom faced legal consequences.

Meanwhile, President Trump has recently signed the “Big Beautiful Bill,” a sweeping immigration enforcement package that includes $45 billion to expand detention infrastructure. Even some Democratic leaders, like Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, have acknowledged Trump’s focus on border security.