The main gate of Camp Atterbury is pictured in September 2021 in southern Johnson County.
Daily Journal File Photo
CAMP ATTERBURY — Low-level offenders would be housed at Camp Atterbury as part of an illegal immigrant detainment plan, a Prince’s Lakes official said Wednesday.
Prince’s Lakes officials were invited to Camp Atterbury to meet with Indiana Army National Guard leaders to discuss recent documents from the U.S. Secretary of Defense regarding the use of Camp Atterbury as a temporary site to house illegal aliens. A July 15 letter revealed that Camp Atterbury, along with Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst in New Jersey, has been preliminarily certified as sites that could house immigrant detainees. This housing would be on a temporary basis, the letter to Congress members representing the areas of the bases said.
“While there are many unanswered questions for both the Guard and the community, we were assured that the [Indiana National Guard] was committed to keeping us informed as plans develop and values us as a neighbor and partner,” said Lindsey Henson, president of the Prince’s Lakes Town Council, in a post on the town’s Facebook page Wednesday.
In the post, Henson said Camp Atterbury has been formally selected as a potential location for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, to temporarily hold individuals with immigration-related violations. The individuals who could potentially be housed there would be low-level offenders.
However, as of now, the site has not been activated for use by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Henson said.
“We were informed this is not a mission of the National Guard, nor the Army, but rather is a mission of the Department of Homeland Security via ICE. Camp Atterbury’s role is like a landlord to ICE for their mission,” Henson said. “The care and control of any aliens would be under ICE and in proper detention facilities during their entire stay.”
Further meetings are expected between any local town councils, emergency management and public health officials as necessary, Henson said. To help provide clarity and answer questions, a representative of Camp Atterbury will attend the town’s upcoming public meeting on Aug. 18, she said. Henson is likely referring to the town’s next town council meeting, which is at 6:30 p.m. Aug. 18 at town hall, 14 E. Lakeview Drive, Nineveh.
News of the decision to potentially use Atterbury to house illegal immigrants first became widely reported after a letter was published and reported on by the NJ Spotlight news on July 17. The letter confirms the Trump administration’s plans to utilize military bases amid capacity issues at federal immigration facilities. Federal officials have cited overcrowding in ICE facilities as the reason for seeking additional space, according to the Associated Press.
Camp Atterbury is a federally owned facility that is licensed to and operated by the Indiana National Guard. The camp provides full logistical and training support for up to two brigade-sized elements simultaneously on more than 34,000 acres in Johnson and Bartholomew counties.
Previously, the Indiana Capital Chronicle reported in May that Camp Atterbury had been floated as a possible location under consideration, but federal officials declined to confirm it at the time. DHS did tell the outlet that they were actively “exploring all options” to meet current and future detention needs.
After news of the letter spread, the Indiana National Guard said they were aware of the letter, said Master Sgt. Jeff Lowry, a spokesperson.
“We are currently working with the Defense Department and DHS officials and have no details other than what is in the memo,” Lowry said on July 21. “… We will communicate information when we have appropriate details. Any further questions should be directed to DHS.”
Camp Atterbury has previously been used to house Afghan evacuees and Ukrainian refugees. But it’s never been used to house immigration detainees held under enforcement authority.
During Operation Allies Welcome in 2021, the base housed over 7,000 Afghan evacuees in 82 lodging buildings across six neighborhoods, complete with dining facilities and medical centers. The buildings were equipped with heating, air conditioning and plumbing.
ICE operates 155 sites nationwide, according to the latest available data. The agency has housing agreements with three sheriff’s offices and jails in Indiana, in Clark, Clay and Clinton counties, according to the agency’s website.
The Trump administration is eyeing a national build-out of detention sites for immigrants — an effort boosted by an additional $150 billion for its immigration agenda. The $150 billion for immigration enforcement has come as part of the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” passed earlier this month, which allocated $45 billion alone for the expansion of ICE facilities. Shreve, Banks and Young all voted in favor of the bill.
ICE held about 56,000 people at the end of June, near an all-time high and above its budgeted capacity of about 41,000. Homeland Security said new funding will allow for an average daily population of 100,000 people.
— Noah Crenshaw, Daily Journal news editor.
