The Trump administration announced Thursday that 200 U.S. Marines will be deployed to Florida to assist Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) with logistical and administrative support, according to a statement from U.S. Northern Command (USNORTHCOM).
The deployment marks the first phase of military support for ICE under USNORTHCOM, which emphasized that the Marines will not engage in law enforcement activities.
“Service members participating in this mission will perform strictly non-law enforcement duties within ICE facilities,” the statement clarified.
The Marines, from Marine Wing Support Squadron 272 based at Marine Corps Air Station New River in North Carolina, will support ICE’s interior enforcement operations by providing clerical, administrative, and logistical assistance at designated locations.
Strict guidelines prohibit them from direct interaction with individuals in ICE custody or involvement in detention procedures.
The Pentagon previously authorized the deployment of up to 700 Defense Department personnel to support ICE activities across Florida, Louisiana, and Texas. These troops, operating under Title 10 active-duty status, will fill roles typically associated with administrative processing, helping ICE manage the growing number of illegal border crossings and detentions.
In June, President Trump also ordered 700 Marines to Los Angeles in response to large-scale protests opposing ICE deportation operations. Those protests were triggered by concerns about federal immigration tactics and treatment of detainees.
Local leaders, including California Governor Gavin Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, criticized the deployment, warning it could inflame tensions between communities and federal authorities.
Despite the criticism, the Trump administration has continued to emphasize the limited and non-combat role of military personnel supporting ICE.
“These service members will not directly participate in law enforcement activities,” Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell confirmed in an earlier statement. “They are there to ensure ICE personnel can focus on enforcement, while the military supports behind the scenes.”
Strong Jobs Report Highlights Economic Momentum Under Trump
In parallel with the ICE support announcement, the Trump administration touted positive news on the economic front.
The U.S. economy added 147,000 jobs in June, surpassing expectations of 117,500, according to data released Thursday by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The unemployment rate also dropped to 4.1%, down from 4.2% the previous month.
Job gains from May and April were also revised upward, with May’s total climbing to 144,000 and April’s to 158,000. The three-month average now stands at 150,000 jobs added per month.
Market response was optimistic. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 96 points (0.22%), while the S&P 500 increased by 0.4% and the Nasdaq gained 0.6%, CNN reported.
Job Creators Network CEO Alfredo Ortiz praised the Trump administration’s economic strategy during an appearance on Fox Business.
“Hats off to President Trump because this three-legged stool of his has really been powerful: trade, taxes, and deregulation. It’s all about Jobs! Jobs! Jobs!” Ortiz said.
On his Truth Social account, President Trump posted a video clip of a Bloomberg analyst reacting to the jobs report. “This is good news—much better than expected,” the analyst said. “Economists expected [unemployment] to rise to 4.3%. It came in at 4.1%. Jobless claims are also much lower than expected.”
The strong economic performance stands in contrast to the Biden-era trend, during which monthly job figures were frequently revised downward after their initial release.
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