WASHINGTON — ICE agents will be stationed outside graduation events for the nation’s newest Marines to identify whether any of their family members are undocumented, according to the Marine Corps.
As the U.S. continues the war in Iran, the Marine Corps has boosted protection measures on bases, requiring everyone to present REAL IDs, U.S. passports or U.S. birth certificates to access any sites.
Undocumented immigrants are generally ineligible for federal REAL IDs and don’t have U.S. passports or birth certificates. So people without identifying documents who arrive at the gate of Marine Corps Recruit Depot at Parris Island in Beaufort, South Carolina, for recruit family days and graduation events this week may now have to answer to Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials, the Marine Corps said.
Because of “increased force protection measures” at the recruit depot, "federal law enforcement personnel will be present at installation access points to conduct enhanced screening and lawful immigration status inquiries during recruit family and graduation days,” a message on the Parris Island website read.
While sometimes family members don’t have proper documentation, it wasn’t clear why ICE had decided to station at Parris Island.
A DHS spokesperson said any suggestion that ICE would make arrests was false. "ICE will not be making arrests at the basic training graduation in Paris Island, SC,” the spokesperson said.
Graduation is Friday morning, but family members are invited to visit the base and celebrate their sons’ and daughters’ completion of the grueling training beginning Wednesday. Marine recruits aren’t allowed to see their families during the 13-week boot camp.
“While the Marine Corps routinely coordinates with federal partners on security matters, this is the first time in recent memory that federal law enforcement agencies have supported base access operations at Parris Island in this capacity,” according to a spokesperson for MCRD Parris Island.
The spokesperson encouraged all visitors to be prepared for additional screening measures.
“To help ensure a smooth and timely process, guests should bring proper identification and limit the number of items they carry onto the installation,” the spokesperson said.
Marine Corps recruits have trained at Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island since November 1915. It has graduation ceremonies about 46 weeks of the year, according to a spokesperson.
It’s not clear whether ICE will be at the gate to Parris Island for the foreseeable future or whether the ICE involvement could expand to other bases.
