Pentagon Withdraws 2,000 National Guard Troops from Los Angeles Deployment

U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has ordered the withdrawal of 2,000 National Guard troops from Los Angeles, which constitutes about half of the federal forces deployed in the city. This decision comes amid declining civil unrest and protests. The deployment was initially ordered by President Donald Trump in early June, who sent approximately 4,000 National Guard members and 700 Marines to Los Angeles. The purpose was to support federal immigration raids, which had sparked widespread protests across the city.

According to data from the Department of Homeland Security, cited by NBC Los Angeles, these immigration raids led to the arrest of 2,792 undocumented immigrants. Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell confirmed the troop reduction and stated it was due to a decrease in lawlessness in the area. The decision has drawn mixed reactions from political leaders.

Mayor of Los Angeles, Karen Bass, viewed the troop withdrawal as a "retreat" by the federal government and credited the success of peaceful protests, community unity, and legal action for the development. She highlighted the role of a lawsuit that the city had joined, which led to a federal judge's order preventing immigration officers from detaining individuals solely based on their race or for speaking Spanish. Bass emphasized that collective community actions, such as organizing peaceful protests and court battles against the Trump administration, directly contributed to the troop pullout.

Despite the partial withdrawal, federal troops still stationed in Los Angeles retain the authority to detain individuals who threaten federal personnel or property, but only until local police can arrest them. Military officials themselves are not allowed to make arrests.

California Governor Gavin Newsom strongly criticized the continued federalization of National Guard troops. He argued that many troops remain in Los Angeles without justification and are being prevented from performing their essential duties in other parts of the state. He pointed out that the deployment had severely impacted firefighting efforts, with the National Guard’s firefighting teams operating at just 40% capacity, even as new wildfires emerged across California.

Newsom condemned the ongoing military presence as political theater and demanded all remaining troops be sent home. Despite opposition from the state government, a U.S. appeals court has allowed President Trump to retain control over the California National Guard, marking the first time since 1965 that a president deployed such forces against a governor's wishes.

Los Angeles, once part of the Mexican empire, still has a large population of Central and South American descent. It is also designated as a “sanctuary city,” offering protection from deportation to undocumented immigrants. Trump’s administration has vowed to deport millions of undocumented individuals and has aggressively conducted workplace raids, including in agriculture, despite having previously excluded such sectors from enforcement.

Furthermore, Trump has increasingly relied on military support for his immigration policies. Active-duty troops have also been stationed along the U.S.-Mexico border, and the Pentagon has established military zones there to facilitate migrant detentions without invoking the 1807 Insurrection Act, which allows a president to use the military during civil unrest.

A recent poll indicates a shift in public opinion, with support for immigration rising and backing for mass deportations declining.