Washington DC - President Donald Trump's administration is moving to expand several US military bases to house detained undocumented migrants.

According to a letter reviewed by NPR dated July 15, Department of Defense (DOD) Secretary Pete Hegseth granted a request for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to gain access to Camp Atterbury, a National Guard base in Indiana, and Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, a base in New Jersey.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) staff and contractors will be tasked with maintaining all care and handling of up to 1,000 detainees.

"DoD approves this support through September 30, 2025, subject to ICE maintaining a 24/7 oversight presence at each site to maintain custody and provide overall supervision of each site," the letter stated.

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ICE has also requested permission to detain more migrants at Guantánamo Bay, doubling its capacity by 400.

The move comes as Trump leads an aggressive immigration agenda since his re-election, which has seen thousands of undocumented individuals deported, many without due process.

In a statement, the Democratic congressional delegation condemned the use of the New Jersey base, describing the move as "inappropriate use of our national defense system and military resources."