Enhanced security screening is conducted at the Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island gate, April 2, 2026. New regulations require a federally approved identification documents for every person over 18 attempting to enter the base. Tony Kukulich/Staff PARRIS ISLAND — An hour before sunrise April 2, the causeway leading to Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island was illuminated with red brake lights for most of its one-mile length.Visitors pouring onto the base for its family day celebration were in for a longer and more involved security screening than in the past given increased security on military bases that were implemented after the start of combat operations in Iran.On March 1, U.S. Northern Command ordered, among other actions, that a background check be completed for every person over the age of 18 seeking entry onto Pentagon installations.Anticipating large crowds of civilian visitors and a more lengthy security review, base officials requested assistance from federal law enforcement for the family day. They posted a message on the base website advising that federal law enforcement agents would be at the base conducting “lawful immigrations status inquiries” during graduation-related events. The message touched off a firestorm over concerns that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents were conducting immigration actions against the backdrop of Marine graduations. A Department of Homeland Security social media post called an NBC News report on the matter "blatant fake news," and denied that ICE would be making arrests on the base.The website message was later changed to read, “Due to increased force protection measures and to expedite enhanced base access procedures, federal law enforcement personnel will be present at installation access points during Recruit Family and Graduation Days.” While ICE acknowledged, or at least didn’t deny, their plan to be present on Parris Island, the agency did not respond to a request for confirmation that agents were participating. Base officials declined to identify the specific federal agency deployed to the base. Enhanced security screening is conducted at the Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island gate, April 2, 2026. New regulations require a federally approved identification documents for every person over 18 attempting to enter the base. Tony Kukulich/Staff “For operational security reasons, we don’t discuss specific agency participation, but we can confirm that all support is coordinated through appropriate federal partners and is focused entirely on maintaining security and efficiency at our access points,” wrote Chief Warrant Officer Bobby Yarbrough in an email to The Post and Courier.Parris Island, unlike most military bases, sees large numbers of civilian visitors on an almost weekly basis. The base graduates freshly minted Marines about 40 times a year. Graduation ceremonies are held Friday morning, but family members often begin to arrive on Wednesdays, and family day events start before dawn each Thursday before graduation. As many as 8,000 visitors will show up for the larger graduating classes in the summer, said base spokesperson Chief Warrant Officer Bobby Yarbrough. Even a smaller class, like the 397 Marines expected to graduate April 3, will draw well over 2,000 family members and friends.Prior to implementation of the new security standards, only the driver of a vehicle entering the base was subject to a background check. Possession of a REAL-ID-compliant driver’s license, a U.S. passport or some other federally approved document would be enough to allow access.“Now that we’re at 100 percent ID check, that requires us to check every single person in the vehicle over the age of 18 to make sure they’re credentialed to come onto base, which requires additional time and additional manpower,” Yarbrough said. Federal law enforcement is involved with every graduation and family day event, Yarbrough further explained. Federal officials are called to run secondary background checks on foreign nationals or visitors without qualifying identification, and in most cases, the visitor is allowed on the base. “We extrapolated that we will need more resources to support those secondary checks based on the first graduation we did,” Yarbrough said. “We saw more cases.”To speed up the process, Naval Criminal Investigative Services requested federal law enforcement be onsite.Undocumented foreign nationals have always been prohibited from entry to military bases. If a security check determines an individual is undocumented, their access to the base is denied, but they were not taken into custody. “At no time have we ever detained an individual on behalf of federal law enforcement agencies,” Yarbrough said, adding that the actions taken by federal law enforcement officials on the base are not governed by the Marines, but by their own policies.The enhanced security screening did back up traffic headed to the base, leading to the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office issuing a traffic advisory just before 7 a.m. on April 2. A short time later, another advisory cautioned local drivers and visitors to expect the same for the April 3 graduation.Until security procedures are eased, visitors can expect similar delays into the foreseeable future. Despite the backup, visitors had few complaints. Most said it took about 30 minutes to get past the gate. Enhanced security screening is conducted at the Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island gate, April 2, 2026. New regulations require a federally approved identification documents for every person over 18 attempting to enter the base. Tony Kukulich/Staff Vanessa Hernandez, a resident of Puerto Rico, was on the island attending the graduation of a friend’s son.“It was pretty easy going to be honest. We thought it was going longer, but it wasn’t,” she said.By 8 a.m. on April 2, the vast majority of visitors expected for the day were on the island. Yarbrough reported that nine foreign nationals approached the entrance, and all were granted access. No undocumented foreign nationals were identified by base security. Reach Tony Kukulich at 843-709-8929.