Rep. Foushee Demands Answers Regarding Civilian Detainments at Military Installations in North Carolina

WASHINGTON, DC (March 25, 2026) - Yesterday, Congresswoman Valerie Foushee (NC-04) sent a letter to Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth demanding answers on the reports of eleven individuals who were detained after inadvertently entering military-controlled areas in or near North Carolina's Fourth Congressional District and surrounding region, including areas connected to Fort Liberty, Camp Lejeune, Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, Marine Corps Air Station New River, and the Military Ocean Terminal Sunny Point.

Many of these incidents involve individuals traveling to work or completing delivering routes and had entered restricted areas unintentionally due to GPS misdirection. They are being detained despite some of these individuals having pending immigration proceedings, and others having valid work authorizations. Families of the detained individuals report that many had no prior criminal convictions.

"These incidents have been brought to my attention by constituents of North Carolina's Fourth Congressional District, and raise serious questions about the policies and protocols governing civilian contact with military-controlled areas in my district," wrote Congresswoman Foushee. "The circumstances described above raise significant questions about current military policy and inter-agency coordination."

"My office has been contacted by the family of an active-duty service member whose relative is currently in immigration proceedings arising from one of the incidents described above," continued Congresswoman Valerie Foushee. "I believe it is my obligation as a Member of Congress to ensure that federal policies are applied consistently, equitable, and with appropriate protections for individuals who pose no security threat. The incidents described in this letter warrant serious attention."

The letter includes a set of questions regarding the coordination between ICE and the Department of Defense, and the safeguards in place to distinguish between individuals deliberately attempting to unlawfully enter an installation and those who enter accidentally due to navigation error.

The full letter can be found here.