The U.S. military announced Thursday that 200 Marines will be deployed to Florida to assist Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) with administrative and logistical support. According to the statement, the Marines represent the first phase of U.S. Northern Command’s backing of ICE’s enforcement operations.
“Service members participating in this mission will perform strictly non-law enforcement duties within ICE facilities,” USNORTHCOM said in a statement.
Why It Matters
President Donald Trump in June controversially deployed 700 Marines to quell violence during protests against deportation operations carried out by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in Los Angeles.
The raids followed a legal directive from federal authorities, but critics raised concerns about the treatment of migrants by federal authorities as well as the tactics used by immigration agents during the raids.
California Governor Gavin Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass objected to the deployments, saying that they would cause an escalation of tensions.
What To Know
The military emphasized that the Marines’ duties will be limited to administrative and logistical support within ICE facilities.
“Approximately 200 Marines from Marine Wing Support Squadron 272, Marine Corps Air Station New River, North Carolina, are conducting a movement to Florida, to augment U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) interior immigration enforcement mission with critical administrative and logistical capabilities at locations as directed by ICE,” U.S. Northern Command wrote in its statement Thursday.
The Marines will have to adhere to strict prohibitions against any direct contact with individuals in ICE custody or involvement in the custody process.
The deployments mark the first wave of U.S. Northern Command’s support for ICE operations in the region, according to the announcement, which likely refers to the total deployment of troops in Louisiana and Texas.In June, the Pentagon approved the deployment of up to 700 Defense Department personnel to assist ICE operations across the three states.
“These service members, drawn from all components and operating in a Title 10 duty status, will provide logistical support, and conduct administrative and clerical functions associated with the processing of illegal aliens at ICE detention facilities,” Chief Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said in a June 17 statement about the support.
“They will not directly participate in law enforcement activities,” Parnell added.
Update 7/3/25, 8:08 p.m. ET: This article has been updated with additional information.
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