President Donald Trump has approved the deployment of 200 U.S. Marines to Florida to provide operational support to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), part of a broader federal effort to increase immigration enforcement across the country.
The military assistance follows a May request from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
The Marines will be assigned to ICE facilities, but their responsibilities will remain strictly non-enforcement in nature.
According to U.S. Northern Command, the troops will handle logistical and administrative duties, enabling ICE personnel to focus on tracking and arresting illegal immigrants.
“These Marines are the first wave of U.S. Northern Command’s support of this ICE mission,” the Northern Command said in a statement. “They are specifically prohibited from direct contact with individuals in ICE custody or involvement in any aspect of the custody chain.”
In remarks to CBS, Assistant Secretary of Homeland Security Tricia McLaughlin confirmed that the deployment will reinforce Trump’s immigration priorities.
She noted the Marines will “assist with immigration processing at locations across the state of Florida,” describing the move as consistent with a full-government approach to removing public safety threats, according to the Daily Mail.
The Florida deployment follows a similar action in California last month, where 700 Marines were sent to assist ICE in Los Angeles during large-scale protests.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) strongly criticized the move, though the White House has indicated that additional troop deployments are planned for other states.
The increase in military involvement coincides with the passage of a major tax and spending bill signed into law by Trump on July 4.
The legislation allocates $150 billion to immigration and border enforcement efforts, including $30 billion for ICE and $46 billion for Customs and Border Protection.
The bill also outlines $1.2 trillion in spending cuts, mostly targeting Medicaid and includes long-term tax relief totaling $4.5 trillion over the next decade.
Criticism of the legislation emerged from both sides of the aisle.
Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-MI) warned that the bill could have deadly consequences for Americans.
Tech executive Elon Musk also weighed in, calling the bill “political suicide” due to its scale.
Meanwhile, Trump traveled to a newly opened detention center located deep in the Florida Everglades.
The facility, referred to informally as “Alligator Alcatraz,” will be used to hold high-risk detainees.
Staffed by about 70 members of the Florida National Guard, it features extensive natural barriers and is designed to house those considered most dangerous by immigration authorities.
Trump said he expects the site to serve as a model for future immigration detention facilities.
“The only way out, really, is deportation,” he told reporters while touring the center. “This is where the most menacing migrants—some of the most vicious people on the planet—will be held.”
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has authorized up to 700 additional military personnel to assist ICE in Florida, Texas and Louisiana.
More than 8,500 troops are already stationed at the southern border assisting in wall construction and border control operations.
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Author: Gloriel Howard
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