PENTAGON DEPLOYS 200 MARINES TO SUPPORT FLORIDA ICE OPERATION
Less than a month after President Trump ordered federalized National Guard Troops and active duty Marines to respond to protests against federal law enforcement stepping up arrests and detainments of undocumented immigrants in Los Angeles, the next major deployment of troops on American soil has seemingly begun. And this time it’s in support of an ongoing Florida ICE operation. On July 3rd, United States Northern Command (USNORTHCOM) announced that approximately 200 personnel from Marine Wing Support Squadron 272 (MWSS-272) out of Marine Corps Air Station New River in North Carolina will deploy to Florida to, “ augment U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) interior immigration enforcement mission with critical administrative and logistical capabilities at locations as directed by ICE.”
What Unit is Headed to Support the Florida ICE Operation?
These 200 Marines are part of the 700 military personnel slated to provide logistical support to ongoing immigration related operations in response to a request the Department of Homeland Security issued back in May.
Details about further troop deployments are currently unknown other than some are expected to be sent to Louisiana and Texas in addition to those participating in ICE operations in Florida.
The exact role(s) the Marines from MWSS-272 will play also remain unknown to the public, and it’s not known if any or all of them have arrived in the Sunshine State yet.
The squadron, part of the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing (2nd MAW), exists to provide all manner of Aviation Ground Support to air units such as operating airfields, providing security, refueling aircraft, firefighting, operating field mess facilities, and much more.
So, the troops headed to Florida will likely have a wide range of skills they can employ to assist ICE operations. Additionally, some have speculated that they will assist in setting up and/or staffing the new, already infamous ICE detention facility in the Everglades (dubbed “Alligator Alcatraz”), but officials have yet to confirm either way.
Marines Will Also be Headed to ICE Detention Facilities in Louisiana
While Marines in the “first wave” will largely be sent to Florida, there will be support locations in Louisiana and Texas, according to the government.
According to the Defense Department, Marines will not be allowed to have direct contact with people in ICE custody, nor will they take any part in the process of detaining people.
Louisiana has nine detention facilities that house immigrants. This includes:
- Winn Correctional Center in Winnfield
- Central Louisiana ICE Processing Center in Jena
- South Louisiana ICE Processing Center in Basile
- Jackson Parish Correctional Center in Jonesboro
- Pine Prairie ICE Processing Center in Pine Prairie
- Richwood Correctional Center in Monroe
- River Correctional Center in Ferriday
- Allen Parish Public Safety Complex in Oberlin
- Alexandria Staging Facility in Alexandria
Further Deployments in Support of ICE
Since Trump took office in January, his administration has since tasked thousands of troops with immigration enforcement, including deportation flights, barrier wall repairs, and patrols along the Mexico-US border.
The marine Corps has partnered with ICE at its own installations. The intent is to prevent foreign nations from unlawfully entering the base.
This effort previously involved the arrest of a woman at Marine Corps Base Hawaii in June of this year.
This may be the second such deployment of American troops on their own soil, but it will not be the last.
As USNORTHCOM’s own press release says, this operation in support of the Florida ICE operation is merely the “first wave.” Granted, the release specifically states that such servicemembers’ “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.”
But this deployment and the ones that follow will surely fuel further debate over the use of the military in support of law enforcement operations on American soil.
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