WASHINGTON — The Pentagon continued its withdrawal of troops sent to Los Angeles as part of President Donald Trump’s crackdown on illegal immigration, ordering 700 Marines back to their base.
Monday’s move follows a similar drawdown last week of 2,000 National Guard soldiers from Los Angeles.
Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth had ordered thousands of National Guard and the active-duty Marines to Los Angeles after some protests against immigration enforcement became violent in June. The Guardsmen had protected Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers who were rounding immigrants suspected of being inside the United States illegally. Marines protected federal property.
The deployments came despite opposition from California Gov. Gavin Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, both Democrats, who said local law enforcement officials had control of the protests.
In a statement, Sean Parnell, the Pentagon’s chief spokesman said the Marines were “instrumental in restoring order.”
“With stability returning to Los Angeles, the Secretary has directed the redeployment of the 700 Marines whose presence sent a clear message: lawlessness will not be tolerated,” Parnell said.
More: ‘Flood’ of ICE agents is coming to cities run by Democrats, White House warns
Bass, in a statement, blasted the Trump administration for the deployment to her city.
“This is another win for Los Angeles but this is also a win for those serving this country in uniform,” Bass said. “Just this morning I stood with veterans, families of active duty officers, and business leaders to show the impact of this unnecessary, unprecedented, and unconstitutional assault on our city.”
About 2,000 California National Guardsmen remain on duty in Los Angeles.
The Department of Homeland Security has asked the Pentagon for 20,000 National Guard troops to assist its immigration enforcement efforts across the country, USA TODAY reported in June.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: pentagon withrdaws marines los angeles
