N.J. Reps. Conaway, Norcross blast lack of transparency in plans to use Joint Base MDL as immigrant detention center

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It’s been more than a week since Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth informed the Reps. Herb Conaway Jr. and Donald Norcross that Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst in New Jersey will serve as a detention center for undocumented immigrants.

The two New Jersey representatives toured the military base Friday morning and criticized the Pentagon for not alerting authorities at the base about their plans or sending them any details.

“In fairness to the commanders on the base, they are as much in the dark as we are about what may happen,” said Conaway, whose district includes MDL.

Hegseth told Conaway last week that MDL and Camp Atterbury in Indiana were approved for “temporary use” to house immigrant detainees.

Norcross, who is a member of the House Armed Services Committee, and Conaway were critical of the lack of communication and transparency from the Trump administration on their plans to use the base.

“I have never in my 11 years of being in Congress, have been shut out by our own government trying to get the information on what might or might not happen on a base that happens to be in our backyard,” Norcross said.

Both leaders were concerned about how the detention center could affect the base’s core mission in supporting national defense.

Conaway also expressed his disappointment on how people — citizens and noncitizens — have been treated by the U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement under the current administration.

There have been numerous media reports on detainees in ICE custody being allegedly mistreated and deprived of legal rights.

“I am much less sanguine about [Department of Homeland Security] and ICE conducting their mission and their taskings responsibly and according to our constitutional principles,” he said. “I want to see the rights of women respected. I want to see people properly clothed and housed.”

Immigration advocates have blasted the plan for the detention center in New Jersey. Dena Mottola Jaborska, executive director of New Jersey Citizen Action, said bases should not be used to carry out the Trump administration’s deportation plans, which she described as a “human catastrophe.”

“Our military carries out the honorable work of protecting our nation’s safety and liberties,” she said. “They should not be party in destroying our democratic freedoms by being utilized as an ICE detention center.”

Sens. Cory Booker and Andy Kim, and New Jersey’s Democratic members of Congress have also condemned the move and have called on their Republican colleagues to oppose the plan.

Republican Reps. Tom Kean Jr., Chris Smith and Jeff Van Drew did not return requests for comment. Norcross and Conaway said they have also not heard from their GOP colleagues.

“When Trump says, ‘jump,’ we see what happens,” he said. “I’m not really expecting, unfortunately, to hear from them.”