Amid growing controversy regarding the way ICE agents have been working across the United States, a new development has taken place. These agents will now be deployed outside graduation events to check if any family members of the newest Marines of the U.S. were undocumented immigrants, the Marine Corps said.
The graduation ceremony taking place at the Marine Corps Recruit Depot at Parris Island in Beaufort, South Carolina, will see ICE agents at the gate who will screen the family members of the Marines. As America’s war with Iran continues to escalate, the Marine Corps has worked to make bases more secure, which has led to this decision.
Now, anyone who comes to attend the graduation ceremony would need to present REAL IDs, U.S. passports or U.S. birth certificates to enter the venue. It is important to note that undocumented immigrants are not eligible for federal IDs and do not have birth certificates or U.S. passports.
ICE agents are being sent to make sure that Marines don’t bring any undocumented family members (of which there are likely many) to their graduation ceremony.
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— Aaron Reichlin-Melnick (@ReichlinMelnick) March 31, 2026
Therefore, anyone without these documents arriving at the gates of Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island in Beaufort, South Carolina, would have to talk to the ICE officials and agents.
While it is true that some family members of Marines do not have all the proper documents, it is not clear why Parris Island was chosen for this measure. As NBC News reported, according to a spokesperson for Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island, “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.”
Moreover, a message on the Parris Island website states that 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.”
Since ICE would be deployed at the venue checking for undocumented family members, the question of whether they would be arrested naturally arose. However, according to a DHS spokesperson, “ICE will not be making arrests at the basic training graduation in Parris Island, SC.”
While the graduation ceremonies will begin on Friday, families of graduating Marines have been invited to the base to celebrate their daughters’ and sons’ achievements from Wednesday itself, as Marines are not allowed to meet any family during the 13 weeks of boot camp.
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The spokesperson for MCRD Parris Island also said, “To help ensure a smooth and timely process, guests should bring proper identification and limit the number of items they carry onto the installation.”
However, American Immigration Council senior fellow Aaron Reichlin-Melnick had a rather disgusted and shocked reaction to this new development, as he took to X and wrote, “ICE agents are being sent to make sure that Marines don’t bring any undocumented family members (of which there are likely many) to their graduation ceremony.”
The presence of ICE in different parts of America and their actions have already caused massive protests and given rise to important conversations about the kind of power they have over the common American people. These agents are appearing in graduation ceremonies to vet families of the Marines, it now remains to be seen what fate awaits those without proper documentation.
