Trump Orders Deployment of 700 Military Personnel to Support ICE in Florida, Texas, and Louisiana

The Trump administration has directed the deployment of 700 military personnel from the Department of Defense to Florida, Texas, and Louisiana as part of a strategic move to bolster immigration operations led by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), according to the Pentagon. These troops, sourced from various components of the Department of Defense under Title 10, will not engage in law enforcement but will perform administrative and logistical duties related to processing undocumented immigrants at ICE detention centers.

According to Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell, the primary aim of this deployment is to free up law enforcement resources for operational and border security tasks. "The Department of Defense is collaborating with the Department of Homeland Security to uphold the sovereignty, territorial integrity, and security of the United States. This support provides essential resources to fulfill ICE's mission," Parnell stated in a press release.

Immigration Crackdown Amid Nationwide Protests

The deployment comes at a time of widespread protests across the nation against Trump’s immigration policies. These actions follow federal court challenges against the White House's militarization efforts in states such as California, where Governor Gavin Newsom has accused the administration of power abuse over the unilateral deployment of the National Guard. In contrast, Republican-led states like Florida, Texas, and Louisiana have welcomed the military presence.

In Texas, Governor Greg Abbott even preempted the National Guard's deployment to manage potential protests, which remained largely peaceful.

Escalating Deportations: Over 26,700 Immigrants Affected

This military support is part of a broader federal crackdown on immigration that began in February, coinciding with the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) updating its operational guide for issuing Notices to Appear (NTA). Since then, more than 26,700 immigrants have entered deportation proceedings after being denied asylum, green cards, or work permits.

USCIS now automatically issues an NTA in these situations, in line with Trump's Executive Order to "Protect the American People from Invasion." USCIS spokesperson Matthew Tragesser noted that up to 1,840 NTAs are issued weekly, with 500 related to asylum cases and 100 involving Temporary Protected Status (TPS).

The Cuban Community: A Major Target

The immigration crackdown has notably impacted vulnerable communities like the Cuban population. In late May, ICE carried out the largest deportation flight in five years to Havana, returning 130 citizens. So far in 2025, there have been five flights from the U.S. and others from regional countries, totaling 587 deportations.

However, complexities remain as the Cuban regime refuses to accept deportees with criminal records or those who have lived in the U.S. for extended periods. Currently, over 42,000 Cubans with final deportation orders are under supervised release within the country.

Increased Fear Among Immigrant Communities

The militarization of immigration operations coincides with a rise in raids at workplaces, schools, and courthouses, particularly in southern states. This has fueled growing fear in immigrant communities, where even individuals with ongoing immigration processes or provisional documents like the I-220A have faced detention.

The deployment of military personnel to support ICE, despite being limited to office tasks, marks a new phase in the "zero tolerance" immigration policy championed by Trump and orchestrated by White House advisor Stephen Miller. Internal sources suggest the goal is to reach 3,000 daily detentions of undocumented individuals nationwide.