The Department of Defense (DoD) announced today the mobilization of up to 700 military personnel to provide administrative and logistical support to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Florida, Louisiana, and Texas. The deployment, authorized last week by Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, aims to bolster ICE’s capacity to process undocumented individuals at detention facilities.
Sean Parnell, the Pentagon’s chief spokesman, stated that the service members, drawn from all military components and operating in a Title 10 duty status, will focus on logistical support and clerical functions. “They will not directly participate in law enforcement activities,” Parnell emphasized in his statement.
This move underscores the Trump administration’s continued efforts to enforce immigration laws and enhance interagency collaboration, particularly between the DoD and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which is the lead federal agency for border security.
“In maintaining the sovereignty, territorial integrity, and security of the United States, the Department of Defense works alongside with the Department of Homeland Security, the lead federal agency in this critical effort,” Parnell said. “This support provides critical resources to support ICE’s mission, freeing up law enforcement personnel to focus on law enforcement tasks and missions. The Department remains committed to securing 100% operational control of the border.”
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According to the Pew Research Center, as of 2022, Florida and Texas were estimated to have 1.6 million and 1.2 million undocumented immigrants, respectively, while Louisiana was home to approximately 65,000.
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