The Trump administration on Tuesday said it was ending the deployment of 2,000 National Guard troops in Los Angeles.
The figure accounts for half the number of troops deployed to LA last month, following protests over immigration raids in the city and surrounding communities.
“Thanks to our troops who stepped up to answer the call, the lawlessness in Los Angeles is subsiding,” Chief Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said in a statement in announcing the decision.
Trump administration deployed 4,000 National Guard soldiers to LA
The Trump administration deployed 4,000 National Guard troops and roughly 700 Marines to LA last month to quell protests between law enforcement officers and protesters opposed to the US president’s immigration policies.
By doing so, President became the first president in decades to federalize troops, bypassing the authority of California Governor Gavin Newsom.
Newsom, a Democrat, sued the Trump administration, arguing among others things that Trump violated the law when he deployed the California National Guard troops despite his opposition.
The National Guard typically responds to domestic emergencies like natural disasters, overseas combat missions, counterdrug efforts or reconstruction projects.
In late June, the top military commander in charge of troops deployed to LA had asked Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to return 200 of them to wildfire fighting duty as California entered peak wildfire season.
What has been Newsom’s reaction to troops leaving?
Following the Pentagon’s decision Tuesday, Newsom said in a statement that the National Guard’s deployment to LA pulled troops away from their families and civilian work “to serve as political pawns for the President.”
He added that the remaining troops “continue without a mission, without direction and without any hopes of returning to help their communities.”
“We call on Trump and the Department of Defense to end this theater and send everyone home now,” he said.
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, who has also been vocal in opposition to the deployment of National Guard soldiers, applauded the troops’ departure, writing: “This happened because the people of Los Angeles stood united and stood strong. We organized peaceful protests, we came together at rallies, we took the Trump administration to court — all of this led to today’s retreat.”
“We will not stop making our voices heard until this ends, not just here in LA, but throughout our country,” she added.
Edited by: John Silk
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