Military option: Controversy surrounds immigration detention plan for New Jersey

☑️ New Jersey's Joint Base could potentially house 10,000 ICE detainees

☑️ The congressional delegation is against the plan

☑️ It's not known when detainees could arrive at the base

A plan to temporarily house unauthorized immigrants at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst is being met with opposition from most of the state's Democratic congressional delegation.

The plan for a deportation hub has been in play since February, when a pilot program was started at Fort Bliss in Texas to hold 10,000 detainees.

A letter from Defense Secretary Pete Hegsethsent to U.S. Rep. Herb Conway, D-N.J. 3rd District, certifies that the use of the base "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 the National Guard and Reserve readiness," Spotlight New Jersey reported.

The letter did not say when detainees would come to New Jersey or provide a timeline. Camp Atterbury in Indiana was also authorized for use.

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NJ Democrats call it an 'inappropriate use' of the military

A joint statement from Conway, Democratic New Jersey U.S. Reps. Josh Gottheimer, LaMonica McIver, Bob Menendez,  Donald Norcross, Frank Pallone, Nellie Pou, Bonnie Watson Coleman, and U.S. Sens. Cory Booker and Andy Kim, condemned the plan "in the strongest possible terms."

"This is an inappropriate use of our national defense system and militarizes a radical immigration policy that has resulted in the inhumane treatment of undocumented immigrants and unlawful deportation of U.S. citizens, including children, across the country."

U.S. Rep. Mikie Sherill, D-11th District, who is also the Democratic nominee for governor, issued a separate statement calling for the Trump administration to "immediately reverse this decision and respect the essential role our servicemembers and military bases play in defending the nation.”

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Bipartisan opposition to similar plan in 2023

None of the three Republican congressmen or gubernatorial candidate Jack Ciattarelli has commented on the plan.

Gov. Phil Murphy and officials of both parties were upset in 2023 at the prospect of migrants being held at Atlantic City International Airport when they were being sent via bus from Texas.

Nearly 10,000 refugees from Afghanistan lived at the Joint Base in an area called Liberty Village after the U.S. pulled out and the Taliban took control in 2021.

Murphy at that time offered the Joint Base to the Biden administration as a temporary home for Ukrainian refugees.

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