Resistance and Legal Battles Force Trump’s Troops Out of LA

U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has directed the withdrawal of 2,000 National Guard troops from Los Angeles, effectively reducing by half the federal military presence in the city, according to a Pentagon statement.

Earlier in June, President Donald Trump had authorized the deployment of approximately 4,000 National Guard members and 700 Marines to Los Angeles.

This move was aimed at supporting federal immigration raids during a time of heightened demonstrations and civil unrest.

Data from the Department of Homeland Security, reported by NBC Los Angeles, revealed that these operations led to the arrest of 2,792 undocumented immigrants.

Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell confirmed the decision to release 2,000 members of the California National Guard from what was referred to as the “federal protection mission.”

He attributed the change to a noticeable reduction in disorder across the city.

“The lawlessness in Los Angeles is subsiding,” Parnell stated.

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, a Democrat, responded to the announcement by characterizing the move as a “retreat” by the federal government.

She attributed the withdrawal to the collective efforts of local residents and legal advocates.

“This happened because the people of Los Angeles stood united and stood strong,” Bass declared.

She emphasized the role of peaceful demonstrations, community rallies, and litigation in challenging the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement.

Mayor Bass pointed specifically to a lawsuit involving the city that culminated in a federal judge barring immigration agents from targeting individuals based solely on their ethnicity or for speaking Spanish.

While federal troops in Los Angeles have been tasked with identifying individuals who pose a threat to federal property or personnel, they are not authorized to conduct arrests directly.

Instead, they are to detain individuals only until local law enforcement can intervene.

California Governor Gavin Newsom criticized the partial withdrawal, asserting that the continued presence of federalized National Guard troops in the city is unnecessary.

He expressed frustration over the impact on the Guard’s ability to serve statewide needs.

“Thousands of members are still federalized in Los Angeles for no reason and unable to carry out their critical duties across the state,” Newsom said on social media.

“End this theatre and send everyone home.”

Despite opposition from state officials, a federal appeals court has upheld President Trump’s authority to maintain control over the California National Guard.

This marks the first time since 1965 that a sitting president has deployed the Guard over the objections of a state governor.

In late June, Governor Newsom’s office reported that California’s firefighting efforts were being hindered, with Guard firefighting units operating at only 40% of their normal capacity.

This staffing shortage comes as wildfires continue to erupt across the state, months after previous blazes devastated the Los Angeles region.

Los Angeles, which was once part of the Mexican empire, is home to a large Latino population, with many residents tracing their roots to Central and South America.

The city is also one of several “sanctuary cities” across the U.S., offering a degree of protection to undocumented immigrants from federal deportation efforts.

President Trump has pledged to carry out widespread deportations of undocumented individuals and has intensified immigration enforcement at worksites.

These include on farms, which were largely exempt during his earlier term.

His administration has been the target of numerous legal challenges over its immigration policies and enforcement tactics.

The president has increasingly relied on the military as part of his broader immigration crackdown.

In addition to stationing troops in Los Angeles, thousands of active-duty service members have been deployed to the southern border.

The Pentagon has also designated military zones near the U.S.-Mexico border.

This is a move supposedly intended to facilitate the detention of migrants without resorting to the Insurrection Act of 1807.

The act permits the president to use the military in response to domestic unrest.

Despite these measures, recent polling indicates that public support for immigration has grown over the past year, while approval for mass deportation has declined.

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