Thousands of immigrants to be housed at Fort Dix, military confirms

✔ Up to 3,000 immigrants to be housed at NJ joint base
✔ They will be held pending deportation
✔ NJ representatives vow to inspect the facility

A memo from the U.S. Department of Defense provides more details about the housing of "illegal aliens" at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst.

In the memo, Col. Anthony Fuscellaro, executive secretary of the U.S. Department of Defense, outlines what type of detainees will be housed at the base and who will be responsible for providing care and security.

Initially, the memo says, 1,000 detainees will be housed at the joint base, but up to 3,000 could eventually be confined at the site.

The memo also goes into detail about the types of detainees that will be sent to the Joint Base.

"Single adult non-high threat illegal aliens" with "a nexus to transnational criminal organizations or criminal drug activity" will be confined at Fort Dix, according to Fuscellaro's memo.

The tie to "criminal organizations or criminal drug activity" is required under federal law to allow the military to provide assistance to government agencies.

Department of Defense officials say the Department of Homeland Security, not the military or troops at the base, will oversee all operations connected to housing the detainees. Contractors with Immigration and Customs Enforcement could also be used to provide security, food and medical care.

Immigrants are expected to remain at the Joint Base for up to 14 days before boarding deportation flights. A private contractor would provide those flights.

Detention operations will continue until President Trump or the Department of Homeland Security determines otherwise.

Democrats oppose detention plans

Gov. Phil Murphy and his attorney general have already voiced opposition to DoD plans to house immigrants at Fort Dix.

Rep. Herb Conaway (NJ-03), whose district includes the Joint Base, posted a video on social media strongly criticizing the Trump administration plan.

In the video, Conaway pointed to reports of deplorable conditions at other ICE facilities and suggested the same could happen at the Joint Base.

"To think that this might happen on a military base," Conaway said, "It's hard to imagine that it would not impact negatively the morale of the troops on that base."

Conaway also said that he intends to visit the facility. "As a member of congress, we have the right to inspect these facilities. We don't have to announce ourselves. I guarantee you that I and others are going to be inspecting that facility," Conaway said.