WASHINGTON, D.C. – The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) issued a strong rebuke on July 25, 2025, following the Trump administration’s announcement that it will begin detaining immigrants at Fort Dix, a U.S. Army base in southern New Jersey.
The ACLU called the plan “disgraceful” and “reckless,” warning that the use of military facilities to expand immigration detention sets a dangerous precedent for civil liberties in the United States.
Under the new plan, the Department of Defense has reportedly approved an expansion to detain up to 3,000 immigrants starting with an initial capacity of 1,000 detainees.
The decision comes just weeks after Congress passed a budget reconciliation bill allocating $170 billion to ramp up deportation and detention efforts.
Reports also indicate the administration may utilize additional military sites, including Guantánamo Bay in Cuba, Camp Atterbury in Indiana, and Fort Bliss in Texas—potentially detaining more than 9,000 immigrants combined.
The Trump administration also plans to deploy 2,000 National Guard troops to support ICE operations nationwide, a move civil rights advocates argue militarizes the country’s immigration system even further.
“President Trump’s use of military bases for his cruel deportation drive is as disgraceful as it is reckless,” said Sarah Mehta, deputy director of policy and government affairs for the ACLU’s Equality Division.
“Detention camps on military bases harken back to some of the darkest chapters in American history, including the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II.”
Mehta emphasized that placing detainees on military sites will severely hinder their access to legal counsel and family visitation, exacerbating already-documented due process violations in ICE detention centers.
“The president’s personal deportation force is now roping in the armed forces,” she added.
“These cruel practices should not extend to Fort Dix or any other military facility. Congress must act immediately to stop the use of military infrastructure for inhumane immigration enforcement.”
Civil rights organizations, immigrant advocacy groups, and some lawmakers have expressed alarm over the increasing militarization of immigration enforcement and the lack of transparency surrounding detention expansion.
The ACLU’s statement aligns with ongoing discussions about how immigration enforcement intersects with constitutional protections.
As Fort Dix and other military bases are designated for expanded detention use, advocacy groups have called for increased federal oversight and transparency.
