In a move that has sparked controversy, President Donald Trump has ordered the deployment of 200 Marines to Florida to assist Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials.
This decision follows a request from the Department of Homeland Security in May for military aid. The Marines' deployment is the first wave of support from the U.S. Northern Command for the ICE mission, with further deployments expected in Louisiana and Texas, according to officials.
As reported by the Daily Mail, the Marines will be performing non-law enforcement duties within ICE facilities, focusing on administrative and logistical tasks. This will allow ICE agents to dedicate their time to conducting arrests and tracking down illegal criminals. "They are specifically prohibited from direct contact with individuals in ICE custody or involvement in any aspect of the custody chain," the Northern Command stated.
Assistant Secretary of Homeland Security Tricia McLaughlin informed CBS that the Marines "will be trained and ready to assist with immigration processing at locations across the state of Florida." She added that this would be "consistent with the whole-of-government approach to deliver on President Trump's mandate from the American people to remove public safety threats from American communities."
This move comes in the wake of Trump's Big, Beautiful Bill, a landmark tax cuts and spending legislation that encapsulates many of the Republican's campaign promises, totaling $3.3 trillion. The bill, which passed through Congress recently, is set to be signed into law on Independence Day, July 4. The tax cuts alone are projected to cost $4.5 trillion over the next ten years, according to the Congressional Budget Office. To balance this, Republicans included $1.2 trillion in spending cuts, primarily trimming Medicaid, the healthcare program for the poor and disabled.
The bill also allocates significant funding to border security efforts, with an estimated $150 billion for increased immigration enforcement. This includes $46 billion for Customs and Border Patrol to build a border wall and enhance security measures, and around $30 billion for Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
The bill's passage has drawn criticism from leading Democrat Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who warned, "I don't think anyone is prepared for what they just did w/ ICE." She added, "This is not a simple budget increase. It is an explosion - making ICE bigger than the FBI, US Bureau of Prisons, DEA and others combined." Ocasio-Cortez also cautioned the public, stating, "People are disappearing."
The measure has also stirred controversy within GOP ranks and drawn criticism from billionaire Elon Musk for its massive spending, which he likened to 'political suicide.'
Trump's commitment to the largest mass deportation scheme in American history is part of his mission to secure US borders. Last month, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth approved up to 700 military personnel to assist ICE agents across Florida, Louisiana, and Texas. An additional 8,500 service members have been deployed to the US-Mexico border for border enforcement and to help build the wall.
In Florida, Trump has proudly showcased his 'Alligator Alcatraz' detention facility, which will be manned by just under 70 Florida National Guard troops. Trump recently toured the new immigration detention center, surrounded by alligator-filled swamps in the Florida Everglades, suggesting it could be a model for future lockups nationwide as his administration races to expand the infrastructure necessary for increasing deportations.
"Pretty soon, this facility will handle the most menacing migrants, some of the most vicious people on the planet," Trump said of Alligator Alcatraz. He added that the moniker is "very appropriate because I looked outside and that's not a place I want to go hiking anytime soon." Trump also raised the prospect of deporting US citizens, stating, "The only way out, really, is deportation."
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