US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has announced the removal of half of the 4,000 National Guard troops deployed to Los Angeles in response to protests that erupted in June. This decision comes as the Pentagon cited the success of the mission in restoring order in the city.
Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell stated, “Thanks to our troops who stepped up to answer the call, the lawlessness in Los Angeles is subsiding.”
As part of this directive, 2,000 California National Guardsmen will be released from their federal duties, leaving 2,000 still active in the city alongside approximately 700 Marines.
The deployment, put into action by President Donald Trump, was initially met with opposition from California’s Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom. The President sought to quell the unrest that followed immigration raids conducted by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents.
Despite facing legal challenges over the deployment, a US appeals court ruled that Mr. Trump could maintain control of California’s National Guard.
This move has sparked a national debate about the role of military forces on domestic soil and inflamed political tensions in Los Angeles, the country’s second-most-populous city.
The Pentagon has defended the military’s role, asserting that the deployment was necessary to safeguard ICE agents and enable them to carry out their duties effectively. In recent weeks, protests against immigration enforcement have regularly occurred in the Los Angeles area, with demonstrators showing up at immigration raids to voice their opposition.
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, who has criticized the military presence, argued that the use of force was unnecessary and detrimental to the local economy. She believes that the strong public opposition contributed significantly to the decision to withdraw some of the National Guard troops.
“This happened because the people of Los Angeles stood united and stood strong. We organized peaceful protests, came together at rallies, and took the Trump administration to court – all of this led to today’s retreat,” Ms. Bass remarked.
She referenced a lawsuit filed by the city that resulted in a federal judge issuing an order prohibiting immigration officials from detaining individuals based solely on their race or for speaking Spanish.
Currently, the troops stationed in Los Angeles are authorized to detain individuals posing a threat to federal personnel or property until local police arrive to handle the situation. However, military officials are not permitted to carry out arrests on their own.
President Trump has consistently expressed a desire to deport millions of undocumented immigrants and has intensified immigration raids, including those targeting previously protected sectors like farming during his first term. The administration has faced numerous lawsuits nationwide challenging its tactics and strategies.
In addition to the activation of troops in Los Angeles, thousands of active-duty soldiers have also been deployed along the Mexico border. The Pentagon has established military zones there to facilitate the detention of migrants without invoking the 1807 Insurrection Act, which allows a president to deploy the military to suppress civil disorder.
Further, recent events in Southern California involving a raid at cannabis farms led to the detention of 319 individuals living in the US illegally, including encounters with 14 migrant minors, as reported by Department of Homeland Security chief Kristi Noem.
ICE agents accompanied by National Guard troops arrived at two locations operated by Glass House Farms, one in Carpinteria and the other in Camarillo, employing military-style vehicles during the operation. The balance between enforcement and public response continues to challenge the administration as tensions persist in this region.
image source from：straitstimes
