The Trump administration is sending home 2,000 National Guard troops from Los Angeles after President Trump authorized their deployment to the area last month following days of protests against an increase in immigration enforcement actions.
“Thanks to our troops who stepped up to answer the call, the lawlessness in Los Angeles is subsiding,” chief Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell said in a statement to The Hill. “As such, the Secretary has ordered the release of 2,000 California National Guardsmen (79th IBCT) from the federal protection mission.”
In June, the Trump administration deployed 4,000 National Guard troops and roughly 700 Marines to Los Angeles after an uptick in immigration raids by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
The move was heavily criticized by California state officials for bypassing the consent of Gov. Gavin Newsom (D). They filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration, arguing that the National Guard’s sudden deployment was unlawful and put residents in possible danger by inflaming tensions.
The officials also slammed the administration for deploying the National Guard “in the midst of peak wildfire season for both Northern and Southern California,” according to the lawsuit.
“When the state faces simultaneous emergencies, the National Guard’s resources can be stretched thin,” the lawsuit read.
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass (D) said the decision to send home the National Guard troops “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,” she said in a statement.
“My message today to Angelenos is clear — I will never stop fighting for this city. We will not stop making our voices heard until this ends, not just here in LA, but throughout our country.”
Earlier this month, 150 guard members were released from the deployment to fight wildfires in the state.
Last week, Newsom praised a ruling from a federal judge that granted two temporary restraining orders preventing officials from targeting individuals for removal on the basis of race, language or employment. It also requires the Department of Homeland Security to grant detainees access to legal counsel.
“The court’s decision puts a temporary stop to federal immigration officials violating people’s rights and racial profiling,” he wrote in a statement posted to the social platform X. “California stands with the law and the Constitution — and I call on the Trump Administration to do the same.”
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