U.S. Marines at Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island, S.C., become new drill instructors as they graduate Drill Instructor School Class 2-26, on Thursday, March 26, 2026. (Ayden Cassano/U.S. Marine Corps)
(Tribune News Service) — Federal agents will be part of enhanced security in place for Marine graduations in Port Royal.
The Marines have noted the beefed up security for Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island events on their website.
“Due to MCRD’s increased Force Protection Measures, Federal Law Enforcement personnel will be present at installation access points to conduct enhanced screening and lawful immigration status inquiries during Recruit Family and Graduation Days,” the statement stays.
Capt. John Hardin, a spokesman for Parris Island, said the enhanced security is about protecting Marines and visitors, not an immigration enforcement activity. They are a part of “force protection measures” that were put in place in early March due to the Iran war.
“It’s not an immigration check,” Hardin said. “Access to the installation is handled under standard Department of Defense security procedures. That requires visitors to present valid ID. The federal law enforcement is only present in a support role for force protection.”
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) will be present, he said.
“We’ve routinely coordinated with fed, state and local partners to ensure security of our Marines and visitors,” he said.
It is the first time in recent memory the Marines have worked with ICE agents, Hardin said.
ICE said on the social media platform X that it will not be making arrests at the Parris Island graduation.
Recruit family day occurs on Thursdays while graduation is held each Friday on the base on Parris Island in Port Royal. During recruit family days, family members of graduating Marines visit the base and see where their son or daughter has been training for the past 12 weeks.
About 16,000 enlisted recruits a year train to be Marines at the 8,000-acre island base in Port Royal, one of two bases in the country where recruits train to become Marines. The other is Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego.
Military installations nationwide are implementing heightened security measures amidst U.S. combat operations in Iran.
On March 2, Parris Island suspended its Trusted Traveler Program until further notice.
At that time, the Marines also said foreign nationals who had not submitted the proper forms for base access would not be granted entry and “may be subject to additional screening by government partner agencies.”
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