1,350 California National Guard members released from federal duty in Los Angeles, Pentagon says
Another 1,350 California National Guardsmen were released from duty in Los Angeles on Wednesday, leaving 250 members in the area to protect federal property and personnel, according to the Pentagon.
This latest troop release comes after roughly 2,000 Guard members were demobilized from Los Angeles on July 15.
The Trump administration deployed about 4,000 National Guard members and around 700 Marines to Los Angeles in early June, after immigration enforcement operations sparked protests. The administration said the troops were needed to protect immigration agents and federal property.
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and Gov. Gavin Newsom called the deployment order unnecessary. Bass said it was a "chaotic escalation" of the situation, while the governor called the move "purposefully inflammatory."
The President invoked Title 10, which states that the President can call Guard troops into federal service to deal with a "rebellion" or if "the president is unable with the regular forces to execute the laws of the United States."
As federal immigration enforcement operations were winding down in Los Angeles, weeks after they began on June 6, the Trump administration had reassigned around 2,000 Guard troops from their LA mission, some to wildfire prevention duties.
Two weeks later, on July 30, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth released approximately 1,350 California National Guardsmen from federal duties in Los Angeles.
In response to the Pentagon's announcement of the release of the Guardsmen in Los Angeles, Bass said on X, "Another win for Los Angeles tonight: 1,000 more troops are retreating." Hegseth responded to the mayor on Thursday, "You're welcome Mayor," he wrote in a post to X.
He said the Guard troops are redeploying because their mission was successful. "You should be thanking them for saving your city from mobs & chaos."
In a separate move, the Pentagon announced on July 21 that the roughly 700 Marines who had joined National Guard troops in Los Angeles in response to protests over federal immigration enforcement were going home.
