Service members will not engage in law enforcement activities; they have been restricted to behind-the-scenes support roles, freeing up other ICE personnel to concentrate on those duties.
US Northern Command announced last week that roughly 200 Marines would be sent to support US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations in Florida. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) requested Defense Department support for administrative and logistical efforts involving ongoing enforcement efforts. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth approved the request.
The Marines are from Marine Wing Support Squadron 272, stationed at Marine Corps Air Station New River in North Carolina. The Marines are the first in a projected total deployment of 700 troops, which will include active duty, reserve, and National Guard personnel.
Service members will not engage in law enforcement activities; they have been restricted to behind-the-scenes support roles, freeing up other ICE personnel to concentrate on those duties. Northern Command stressed that the Marines and others “are specifically prohibited from direct contact with individuals in ICE custody or involvement in any aspect of the custody chain.” Northern Command also noted forthcoming military support for ICE operations in Louisiana and Texas, though whether those areas are included in the current 700-man deployment is unclear.
The move comes on the heels of Northern Command’s creation of three National Defense Areas (NDA) in Texas and New Mexico to support the Trump Administration’s border control efforts. Those NDAs militarize federal border lands, placing them under direct control of Fort Huachuca (New Mexico), Fort Bliss, (West Texas), and Joint Base San Antonio (South Texas).
Being part of military installations, troops deployed to these national defense areas are authorized to detain and search any trespassers, as well as implement crowd control measures, provide emergency medical support, and provide requested assistance to install temporary barriers, signage, and fencing. Detainees are handed over to Customs and Border Protection or other law enforcement entities. Following the declaration of the NDAs, migrant detainees are charged not only with entering the country illegally, but also with trespassing on a military facility and other related offenses.
Trump’s deployment of the National Guard and Marines to anti-ICE riots in Los Angeles in June raised concerns over the use of military personnel in law enforcement roles, and the current efforts are no different. Some critics fear that militarizing federal lands to support border policy will expand to non-federal lands. Others speculate that the deployments may violate the Posse Comitatus Act, which bars using federal troops domestically without Congressional approval. The Brennan Center for Justice noted that while troops are protecting a military installation, the installation itself was expressly created to detain and apprehend migrants. It also warned that domestic troop deployment along the border could set a dangerous precedent for the military to assume a greater domestic policing role in America’s interior.
But former Arizona Supreme Court Justice Andy Gould disagreed, citing the efforts as being “completely legal.” Gould noted that the “No Trespassing zones” along the border had already been very effective against cartel activity. In response to the military’s efforts, the cartels are reportedly shifting to drug smuggling along maritime routes, to which the US Navy is responding.
The Florida deployment’s limited parameters would seem to skirt the controversy altogether, so long as the Marines and other military personnel remain in support roles. Relieving ICE agents of logistical and administrative tasks frees them up for field duties, thus increasing ICE’s reach and effectiveness on the ground.
Trump promised a crackdown on illegal immigration during the 2024 campaign, and his administration has made immigration enforcement its foremost issue. Trump, Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem, “border czar” Tom Homan, and now the US Northern Command are deploying the resources necessary to address the problem at the border—even as civil liberties concerns remain.
About the Author: William Lawson
William Lawson is a military historian focusing on World War II and 20th century conflicts and the American Civil War. His specialty is operational level warfare, especially American amphibious doctrine. He writes on history, politics, and firearms for multiple publications and historical journals. He serves on the editorial advisory board for the Saber & Scroll Journal and Military History Chronicles and is a member of the Society for Military History and the American Historical Association. Lawson is based in Virginia.
Image: Shutterstock / betto rodrigues.
