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,