The U.S. Marine Corps, in partnership with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), has discreetly introduced a pilot initiative to deploy ICE agents at three key military bases: Camp Pendleton in California, Marine Corps Base Quantico in Virginia, and Marine Corps Base Hawaii.
The move, aimed at bolstering security around these bases, has raised as many questions as it seeks to answer.
Abby Hall Blanco, a University of Tampa economics and defense professor, weighed in on the lack of transparency surrounding the program’s inception.
“We’re not completely informed about the exact reasons behind launching this particular program,” she shared with Fox News Digital. “This program aims to strengthen security, especially surrounding the perimeters of these Marine Corps bases.”
ICE reported that one of the two Jordanian nationals was subsequently verified to be in the U.S. unlawfully, while the other was a foreign student whose status had been revoked.
Other incidents, including unauthorized drone flights over military installations and reports from The Wall Street Journal that around 100 Chinese nationals have attempted to breach U.S. military bases, add to the picture of a growing concern by the U.S. government.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents detain an immigrant on Oct. 14, 2015 in Los Angeles. (Getty Images)
Despite heightened security, Hall expressed skepticism about the implications of involving ICE.
“It gives kind of an odd impression that the Marine Corps is not handling its own security sufficiently,” she said. “Having known quite a few Marines in my time, I can’t imagine that they would find that to be a particularly flattering interpretation.”
Fox News Digital has reached out to ICE for comment.
