ACLU-NJ Responds to Reports of Expanded Immigration Detention at Fort Dix

In response to recent reports that the Trump administration has expanded immigration detention capacity to include more than 1,000 beds for detainees of Immigration and Customs Enforcement at Fort Dix, the U.S. Army facility that is part of the tri-service Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst located south of Trenton, ACLU-NJ Executive Director Amol Sinha issued the following statement:

“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.”