U. S. Marines guarding a temporary migrant holding facility.
U.S. Marines guarding a temporary migrant holding facility.

Migrant Detention Camp at Ocean County’s Joint Base MDL Announced

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1 min read
July 18, 2025

LAKEHURST, N.J. — The Department of Defense has approved the temporary use of Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst in New Jersey as a detention facility for criminal migrants, according to a letter sent to U.S. lawmakers by the Pentagon this week.

In a July 15 letter addressed to Rep. Herb Conway and others, the Pentagon confirmed that the joint base will be used by the Department of Homeland Security to house individuals in the country illegally, stating the move will not interfere with military training, readiness, or operations.

Seabeas construction migrant detention facility at guantanamo bay.

“I certify that the provision of Department of Defense real property…for temporary use by the Department of Homeland Security to house illegal aliens will not negatively affect military training, operations, readiness, or other military requirements,” the letter read.

The site, which was previously used to house Afghan evacuees following the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021, is now being designated for migrant detention operations focused on individuals with criminal records.

Camp Atterbury in Indiana was also approved for similar use, according to the Defense Department.

The Department of Homeland Security has not released further details regarding the timeline for the facility’s activation or its capacity.

Joint Base MDL will now again serve as a federal housing site—this time for detained migrants with criminal histories under DHS custody.

Phil Stilton is the Editor and Publisher of Shore News Network, an independent digital newsroom providing original reporting on New Jersey, national news, government, public policy, public safety, courts, and community affairs.

As founder of the publication, Stilton leads editorial strategy, investigative reporting, and daily newsroom operations while overseeing coverage that reaches millions of readers annually.

With extensive experience covering municipal government, county government, state legislatures, elections, law enforcement, emergency management, and public records, Stilton specializes in translating complex government actions into clear, factual reporting. His work frequently relies on primary source documents, including court filings, legislation, public meeting records, election finance disclosures, government databases, police reports, and Freedom of Information and Open Public Records Act (OPRA) requests. He has reported extensively on local government accountability, taxpayer spending, campaign finance, public corruption investigations, infrastructure, public safety, and the policies affecting New Jersey residents.

Under Stilton's editorial leadership, Shore News Network has grown into one of New Jersey's largest independent digital news organizations, publishing thousands of original news articles each year while providing breaking news coverage, investigative reporting, and analysis across state and local government. The publication's reporting is routinely sourced from official government agencies, public officials, court records, and firsthand documentation, with a commitment to transparency, attribution, corrections when warranted, and clearly distinguishing factual reporting from opinion.

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