Pentagon eyes military base in southern Indiana for detaining illegal immigrants

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- The Pentagon is considering a plan to potentially house detained immigrants at military bases in Indiana and New Jersey.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has announced that Camp Atterbury in Indiana, will be a temporary site for immigrants, along with Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst in New Jersey. Hegseth notified members of Congress from both states about the plan to potentially detain thousands of people on bases on U.S. soil.

Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita issued a statement on Monday supporting President Donald Trump and Governor Mike Braun's decision on the use of Camp Atterbury for illegal alien detention:

"This action is a critical step toward restoring the rule of law and addressing the unfair crisis caused by unchecked illegal immigration. By expanding detention capacity in states throughout the country, President Trump is ensuring illegal aliens are detained while they await deportation—not set loose into our communities due to a lack of bed space," Rokita said in a statement.

"For too long, Hoosier communities have borne the burden of open-border policies, facing increased crime, human trafficking, and strain on our schools, hospitals, and other taxpayer-funded resources. Using Camp Atterbury to securely detain illegal aliens pending immigration proceedings or deportation sends a clear message: Indiana will not tolerate lawlessness," Rokita said.

Hegseth said the presence of the detainees would not negatively affect the bases' operations or training. Officials have not said when detainees could begin arriving at the facilities or if other military bases are under consideration.

President Trump has moved to aggressively detain and deport people in the country illegally, a push that has swept up large numbers of immigrants, including many with no prior criminal records, and forced federal authorities to find places to house them.

Trump's border czar, Tom Homan, said there are about 60,000 beds currently available for detained immigrants and the goal is to expand to 100,000.

"We’re looking for any available bed space we can get that meets the detention standards we’re accustomed to," Homan said Friday. "The faster we get the beds, the more people we can take off the street."

Democratic lawmakers from both states and civil rights advocates condemned the idea of housing immigrants at the bases, questioning the impact on military resources and the justification for so many detentions.

Democratic Rep. Andre Carson of Indiana said his questions about detainee conditions have gone unanswered by the Trump administration.

He cited concerns raised about conditions at other facilities and said, "The fact that ICE has detained so many individuals that they now need to expand detention space in Indiana is disturbing."

Both of the bases identified by Hegseth have housed Afghan or Ukrainian refugees in recent years.

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