Marines board a CH-53E Super Stallion helicopter at Marine Corps Air Station Futenma in Okinawa, Japan, on May 8, 2025. (Kendrick Jackson/U.S. Marine Corps)
The Marine Corps on Thursday deployed 200 troops from North Carolina to support federal immigration agents in Florida, while another 500 troops are slated to move to other locations.
The Department of Homeland Security in May requested military support for Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s increased efforts to detain migrants within the United States, according to U.S. Northern Command, the joint military headquarters overseeing operations that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth approved for the 700 troops.
Service members will perform non-law enforcement duties within ICE facilities, according to NORTHCOM.
“Their roles will focus on administrative and logistical tasks, and they are specifically prohibited from direct contact with individuals in ICE custody or involvement in any aspect of the custody chain,” the command said.
The 200 Marines deployed to Florida are assigned to the Marine Wing Support Squadron 272 at Marine Corps Air Station New River, N.C., according to NORTHCOM.
The command did not respond Thursday on whether the troops would go to the detention facility dubbed “Alligator Alcatraz” that President Donald Trump visited earlier this week. ICE referred questions about the locations to the Department of Homeland Security, which did not immediately respond to questions.
The sprawling facility is situated in a nature preserve within the Florida Everglades on property the state seized from Maimi-Dade County, according to the Associated Press. Within two weeks, the site transformed to hold massive tents, and trucks have delivered portable toilets, asphalt and construction materials — causing concern among environmental groups.
The remaining 500 troops will go to locations in Texas and Louisiana, according to NORTHCOM. All 700 will provide administrative and logistical support at locations directed by ICE.
The Marines are now deployed on three fronts of Trump’s increased immigration enforcement. Hundreds of Marines are part of the 8,500 troops deployed to the U.S. border with Mexico to support Customs and Border Protection, and 700 are in Los Angeles protecting federal facilities from immigration protesters.
