Additional 1,350 National Guard personnel relocated from Los Angeles
National Guard Troops Withdraw From Los Angeles as Protests Subside
The Pentagon has announced the withdrawal of 1,350 federalized members of the California National Guard from their security mission in Los Angeles. This decision comes as the protests against ICE raids have quieted down, and the federal security mission is nearing its 60-day limit that started in early June.
The initial deployment of the National Guard and Marines was in response to protests following ICE raids in Los Angeles. However, some of the forces received training to accompany ICE personnel on immigration raids, but their role was specifically limited to providing force protection. Federalized National Guard and Marines were not able to carry out law enforcement duties, as it is prohibited by law.
The deployment was unusual as it was ordered by the Trump administration instead of by Gov. Gavin Newsom. Local officials, including Governor Newsom and Mayor Karen Bass, opposed the military presence, calling it counterproductive and a form of militarization that inflamed tensions in the community. They pressured the federal government to end the deployment, describing the ongoing military presence as unnecessary political theater and emphasizing the Guard members had been taken from their civilian lives without a clear mission.
The remaining force of 250 National Guardsmen will continue protecting federal government buildings and personnel in Los Angeles. Democratic Mayor Karen Bass posted on Twitter that the withdrawal was "another win for Los Angeles." Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth responded on his personal Twitter account to Mayor Karen Bass's post.
An additional 150 National Guard members have been reassigned to firefighting duty. The time limit for this mission ends next week. Close to 5,000 National Guard members and Marines were deployed to Los Angeles on June 7 for a mission that could potentially last up to 60 days.
It is important to note that during their mission, the mobilized military personnel had the authority to temporarily detain individuals before quickly transferring them to law enforcement personnel. City officials labeled the deployment as unnecessary and said that the Los Angeles Police Department was more than capable of responding to the protests.
This withdrawal of the additional 1,350 troops reflects a scaling back of the federal response as protests diminished and political pressure mounted from state and local leaders to demilitarize the city, while keeping a smaller force for federal building protection.
- The withdrawal of National Guard troops in Los Angeles has been announced following a scaling back of the federal response, as protests against immigration raids have subsided.
- Despite some National Guard members receiving training to accompany ICE personnel on immigration raids, they were prohibited by law from carrying out law enforcement duties.
- The ongoing war-and-conflicts in politics, surrounding immigration policies, have led to arguments among local officials and the federal government about the necessity of military presence in general-news contexts, with crime-and-justice implications.
