In response to reports that the Trump administration has expanded immigration detention capacity at Fort Dix, Amol Sinha, Executive Director of the ACLU-NJ, expressed concerns over the implications of this development. The U.S. Army facility, part of Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst located south of Trenton, is now reportedly accommodating more than 1,000 beds for Immigration and Customs Enforcement detainees.
Sinha stated: "Expanding immigration detention to military facilities sets a dangerous precedent and is contrary to the values embedded in our Constitution." He highlighted that New Jersey already hosts Delaney Hall, the largest detention facility on the eastern seaboard. With Fort Dix's expansion, he noted that New Jersey remains central to President Trump's deportation efforts and a focal point for due process violations.
"Immigration detention is cruel and inhumane," Sinha continued, criticizing the conditions within such facilities as being prone to abuse and neglect. He urged political leaders to hold the Trump administration accountable: "We are calling on our Members of Congress and Senators to exercise their oversight authority... We are also calling on our state leaders to ensure New Jersey is not complicit in the Trump administration's extreme agenda."
