The American Civil Liberties Union of New Jersey (ACLU-NJ) has responded to reports that the Trump administration is expanding immigration detention at Fort Dix, a U.S. Army facility that is part of Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst south of Trenton. The expansion would add more than 1,000 beds for detainees held by Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Amol Sinha, Executive Director of the ACLU-NJ, issued a statement expressing concern about the development: “Expanding immigration detention to military facilities sets a dangerous precedent and is contrary to the values embedded in our Constitution. New Jersey already has the largest detention facility on the eastern seaboard, Delaney Hall, and with this expansion into Fort Dix, our state will continue to be the epicenter of President Trump’s mass deportation agenda and ground zero for due process violations.
“Immigration detention is cruel and inhumane, and detention facilities are notorious for abuse, dangerous conditions, and medical neglect. The Trump administration has made it clear it will seek to detain and deport as many people as possible, without regard to their constitutional rights, the rule of law, or their humanity. Our leaders must defend our communities and hold the Trump administration accountable: we are calling on our Members of Congress and Senators to exercise their oversight authority and provide the checks and balances the Constitution requires. We are also calling on our state leaders to ensure New Jersey is not complicit in the Trump administration’s extreme agenda that continues to violate fundamental rights and undermine our democracy.”
The expansion comes amid ongoing national debate over federal immigration policy and practices. Detention centers like Delaney Hall have been criticized by advocacy groups for their conditions and treatment of detainees.
