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) — After initially signaling that federal immigration officers could be part of heightened security at Parris Island Marine Corps Recruit Depot, federal officials now say ICE agents will not attend upcoming recruit family and graduation events.
A previous message on the Parris Island MCRD website said that federal law enforcement personnel would “be present at installation access points to conduct enhanced screening and lawful immigration status inquiries.” A spokesperson for Parris Island previously confirmed with The Island Packet that ICE would be present at events to ensure the security of Marines and visitors.
However, that messaging has since changed. The website now states that federal officials will be present due to “increased force protection measures” and to “expedite enhanced base access procedures.” There was no specific word on immigration enforcement.
A spokesperson with ICE, Lindsay Williams, told The Island Packet on Thursday that ICE agents will not be present at Parris Island for Recruit Family and Graduation Days events.
“None of us will be there,” Williams said. “I don’t know who else will be there or what they’ll be doing, but we won’t be there.”
When asked whether ICE had initially been engaged to assist with immigration enforcement at Parris Island, Williams said he did not know.
He noted it would not be unusual for a military base to contact ICE to support in verifying someone’s immigration status, since the agency has access to systems that house extensive immigration data.
Military installations nationwide are implementing heightened security measures amidst U.S. combat operations in Iran. The installation is currently under its second-highest protection level, requiring 100% ID checks for all visitors older than 18, not just drivers, Chief Warrant Officer Bobby Yarbrough said.
Those attempting to enter the installation without proper credentials are typically verified through background checks conducted remotely by federal law enforcement agencies, he said. But under heightened security measures, he said, those agencies will be on site to help streamline the process.
A press release from the military base said that during this time, support from federal law enforcement partners is “essential” to maintain “thorough and efficient screening while minimizing delays.”
Yarbrough said the Marine Corps would “never discuss specific agency participation,” despite the installation previously confirming that ICE would be involved.
“Our entire goal for every single family is for them to come and witness their marine graduate,” Yarbrough said. “We understand that this is a huge milestone and that people want to celebrate that ... You have to have a certain credential to be able to access our base, and that is protecting our infrastructure, that’s protecting our base, that’s protecting our Marines,” he said.
Recruit family day occurs on Thursdays while graduation is held each Friday on the base on Parris Island.
During family days, relatives of graduating Marines visit the base to see where their sons and daughters have spent the past 12 weeks training. Each year, roughly 16,000 enlisted recruits complete training at the 8,000-acre island base.
“When I graduated from basic training, I stood shoulder to shoulder with Americans from every walk of life —Black, white, Hispanic, men and women, people from different backgrounds and different stories, all serving one country,” wrote Mac Deford, one of several candidates vying for a seat in a crowded race to fill the Lowcountry’s 1st Congressional District, in response to reports that ICE would be involved at Parris Island graduations.
“That is what military service is supposed to represent,” he continued. “So when this administration sends ICE to a Marine Corps graduation, it is not just bad policy. It is an insult to the very spirit of military service.”
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