New Jersey Representatives seek comprehensive information regarding immigration detention center proposals from Hegseth and Noem, involving Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst plans.
In a recent development, U.S. Reps. Herb Conaway Jr. and Donald Norcross, along with several other New Jersey legislators, have penned a letter to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, and acting Immigrations and Customs Enforcement Director Todd Lyons, demanding details about the Trump administration's plans to house undocumented immigrants at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst (JBMDL) in New Jersey.
The representatives are particularly interested in learning about detainee qualifications, facility construction, funding, and timeline. They have expressed concerns about ensuring constitutional rights, humane living conditions, legal representation, due process, and adequate medical care for all individuals detained at the base.
JBMDL, which encompasses Burlington and Ocean counties, is the nation's only tri-service base. The potential use of this base for detaining up to 3,000 people has raised eyebrows, as elected federal officials have yet to receive clarity from the administration about the plans, despite touring the base.
Regarding detainee qualifications, it is known that the detainees are undocumented immigrants, including those described by the administration as "criminal aliens" arrested before deportation. However, specific eligibility criteria and care standards remain unclear and are under scrutiny for ensuring humane treatment, legal representation, due process, medical care, and constitutional rights.
For facility construction and operations, the site at Fort Dix—part of JBMDL—would be expanded or adapted to provide up to 3,000 detention beds. Details on the timeline, construction plans, and operational logistics are contingent on coordination between the Department of Defense and DHS and have not been fully disclosed. Elected officials touring the base reported insufficient information from the administration about these plans.
Funding and reimbursement specifics remain undisclosed publicly. The federal government has allocated large budgets to ICE for enforcement and detention in recent years, but exact amounts or sources dedicated to this JBMDL plan are unknown. Congressional Democrats have specifically demanded transparency on funding and cost responsibilities.
As for the timeline, the Defense Department has stated it depends on operational requirements and coordination with DHS. However, no exact dates for opening or construction milestones have been released. Federal officials promised briefings and written information by August 15, 2025, following congressional demands.
Local political opposition is strong, with New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy and multiple state and federal lawmakers condemning the plan as a misuse of military resources and raising concerns about detainee conditions and military readiness impacts.
In summary, the Trump administration's plan to use JBMDL to detain undocumented immigrants has sparked a demand for transparency from New Jersey congressional Democrats. Key details about detainee qualifications, facility construction, funding, and timeline have been requested but have not been fully disclosed by the administration as of late July 2025. The plan represents an expansion of the Trump administration’s immigration detention system, militarizing detention facilities at a federal military base, raising concerns about human rights and use of military resources. The New Jersey legislators have requested a briefing and written responses from the federal government by Aug. 15.
- The ongoing debate regarding the Trump administration's plan to use Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst (JBMDL) for housing undocumented immigrants is a significant issue in policy-and-legislation and general-news, as it involves questions about detainee qualifications, facility construction, funding, and timeline.
- The controversy surrounding the proposed detention of up to 3,000 people at JBMDL has stirred political discourse, with local officials expressing concerns about ensuring constitutional rights, humane living conditions, legal representation, due process, and adequate medical care for all individuals detained.
