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The Trump administration is ramping up its military involvement in immigration enforcement, with the U.S. Marine Corps deploying 200 service members to assist Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Florida, the Pentagon confirmed Thursday.
The Marines, from Marine Wing Support Squadron 272 stationed in North Carolina, are being dispatched as the “first wave” of what could total up to 700 military personnel approved to support ICE operations across Florida, Texas, and Louisiana.
The move follows last month’s authorization by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, and signals a deepening reliance on the military to bolster the administration’s aggressive immigration agenda.
“The Marines will perform strictly non-law enforcement duties within ICE facilities,” U.S. Northern Command said in a statement. “They are prohibited from direct contact with individuals in ICE custody.”
Their tasks will include administrative and logistical duties, such as data entry, facility management, and transport operations — freeing ICE personnel to focus on enforcement.
A Broader Militarization of Immigration Policy
The Trump administration has repeatedly turned to the military to shore up immigration enforcement, deploying thousands of service members to the southern border to assist with wall construction, migrant processing, and perimeter security.
In recent months, as immigration arrests surge and detention centers near capacity, ICE has looked to the Department of Defense (DoD) to supply labor and space, including exploring plans to convert military bases like Fort Bliss into holding facilities.
This week’s Marine deployment comes amid rising political and legal tensions over the role of the military in domestic immigration operations.
Controversy Over Military Presence in U.S. Cities
Last month, the Trump administration also deployed 700 Marines and 4,000 California National Guard troops to Los Angeles, citing the need to protect ICE agents and federal buildings following sustained protests against the president’s immigration agenda.
That deployment drew sharp criticism from California Governor Gavin Newsom, who accused the administration of violating state authority by sidestepping his office. Newsom warned that federal troops could further escalate protests that state and local police were already managing.
The state of California sued over the Guard deployment. Despite the objections, the federal appeals court ruled in Trump’s favor, finding the president likely acted within his legal rights to deploy troops under federal jurisdiction.
The Marines in Los Angeles were given limited powers to detain individuals who entered federal property. According to the Associated Press, one such case involved a person briefly detained and then released without charges.
‘Whole-of-Government’ Approach
Tricia McLaughlin, Assistant Secretary of Homeland Security, defended the Marine deployment as part of a coordinated, multi-agency strategy.
“The Marines will be trained and ready to assist with immigration processing across Florida,” McLaughlin said in a statement. “This is part of the whole-of-government approach to deliver on President Trump’s mandate to remove public safety threats from American communities.”
The Trump administration continues to frame its immigration actions in terms of national security, despite criticism from immigrant advocates and state officials who argue that using troops for civil enforcement sets a dangerous precedent.
As the 2026 presidential election cycle heats up and immigration remains a focal point of Trump’s second-term agenda, the military’s role in domestic enforcement may continue to expand, raising ongoing legal, ethical, and political questions.
