Levka"Marines reassures families over ICE presence at graduation ceremony
The Marine Corps is seeking to reassure military families that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers will not be conducting immigration enforcement at boot camp graduation ceremonies.
ICE officers will be present outside graduation events but only for 'increased force protection measures' and to 'expedite enhanced base access procedures,' according to a Wednesday press release from the Marine Corps Recruit Depot at Parris Island in Beaufort, S.C.
'Due to an elevated force protection posture, additional support from federal law enforcement partners is essential,' the release states. 'Their assistance enables us to maintain thorough and efficient screening while minimizing delays for our visitors. This collaborative effort ensures we uphold the highest security standards, protect critical infrastructure, and provide a safe and orderly environment for families celebrating this important milestone.'
The messaging comes after the Marine Corps on Tuesday announced ICE officers would be stationed outside graduation events to identify whether any family members of new Marines lacked legal status, causing an outcry.
The original notice, posted to the Parris Island website and first reported by NBC News, said federal law enforcement personnel would be present at installation access points 'to conduct enhanced screening and lawful immigration status inquiries during recruit family and graduation days.'
It marked the first time federal law enforcement agencies would help with base access operations at Parris Island in this way and comes as the Marine Corps has increased protection measures on bases amid the war in Iran. Those measures include requiring everyone who wants to access military sites to present federal REAL IDs, U.S. passports or U.S. birth certificates.
Migrants without legal status usually are ineligible for REAL IDs and don’t have U.S. passports or birth certificates.
Defense officials later told The Washington Post that an internal communications failure is to blame for the original notice, with a defense official at Parris Island requesting the original message be posted to the installation’s website."
https://thehill.com/policy/defense/5813165-marine-corps-ice-graduation/