Two hundred Marines are being sent to Florida to help federal authorities with "critical administrative and logistical capabilities" and will not apprehend suspected undocumented immigrants, U.S. Northern Command officials said Thursday.
Northern Command officials said the Marines, based in North Carolina, represent "the first wave" of forces deployed to support the mission of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the federal agency charged with carrying out President Donald Trump's mass deportation campaign.
Other Marines will be sent to Texas and Louisiana, said Northern Command officials, who emphasized that the Marines "will perform strictly non-law enforcement duties within ICE facilities."
"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 Northern Command said in a statement.
The Trump administration has stepped up its deportation campaign, setting a daily goal of 3,000 arrests by ICE.
The Northern Command, which is headquartered at Peterson Space Force Base in Colorado Springs, said it dispatched the Marines after getting a request from the Department of Homeland Security on May 9.
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth approved a mobilization of up to 700 active, National Guard and reserve personnel.
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