Military Role in Immigration Expands as 200 Marines Deployed to Support ICE in Florida

Approximately 200 U.S. Marines have been deployed to Florida to support Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations, according to a statement from U.S. Northern Command (USNORTHCOM).

The Marines, from Marine Wing Support Squadron 272 based at Marine Corps Air Station New River in North Carolina, are tasked with administrative and logistical duties at ICE facilities.

"This is the first wave of USNORTHCOM's support for this ICE mission," said command spokesperson Becky Farmer to The Washington Post. The Marines will perform non-law enforcement roles, including case management, vehicle maintenance, and data entry into Department of Homeland Security (DHS) systems.

"They are specifically prohibited from direct contact with individuals in ICE custody or involvement in any aspect of the custody chain," USNORTHCOM explained in a statement.

The deployment follows a May 9 request from DHS and is part of a broader mobilization approved by the Secretary of Defense of up to 700 Title 10 military personnel to support ICE in Florida, Louisiana, and Texas. These service members will not enforce immigration laws directly but are instead assigned to "clerical functions associated with the processing of illegal aliens," the Pentagon said.

The Marines' arrival comes days after President Donald Trump toured a new immigration detention center in the Florida Everglades, which he referred to as "Alligator Alcatraz." The facility, built in eight days at a training airport, currently houses detainees and has a capacity of approximately 3,000, with expansion plans to reach 5,000 beds.

The center, constructed under Governor Ron DeSantis's direction in coordination with DHS and ICE, includes over 28,000 feet of barbed wire, 400 security personnel, and more than 200 security cameras.

A group of Florida Democratic lawmakers visited the facility Thursday, citing concerns over detainee conditions and the allocation of public funds but were denied entry just hours after the first detainees arrived at the center. "We have both the legal right and moral responsibility to inspect this site, demand answers, and expose this abuse before it becomes the national blueprint," they said in a joint statement.

Lawmakers are also raising alarms over documents suggesting immigrant children and pregnant women could be detained at the facility. A draft operational plan obtained by the Miami Herald details protocols to "separate minors from unrelated adults" and to provide "snacks and water" to minors, pregnant women and detainees with medical conditions during transport.