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Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has ordered the withdrawal of 2,000 National Guard troops from Los Angeles, the Pentagon confirmed Tuesday, scaling back a controversial military response to immigration-related protests that erupted across the city last month.
“Thanks to our troops who stepped up to answer the call, the lawlessness in Los Angeles is subsiding,” said Pentagon chief spokesman Sean Parnell in a statement.
The protests were triggered by a wave of federal immigration raids across Southern California that resulted in dozens of arrests and prompted widespread backlash. As tensions mounted, some demonstrations turned violent, with reports of looting, injuries, and clashes with law enforcement.
In response, President Donald Trump ordered the federal deployment of 4,000 National Guard troops — the first time a president has federalized the Guard without a governor’s consent since the civil rights era of the 1960s.
Legal and Political Backlash
The deployment sparked immediate criticism from California Governor Gavin Newsom, who labeled the move an “assault on democracy” and drew comparisons to authoritarian regimes.
“This is how it starts — with the targeting of vulnerable people and the suppression of public dissent,” Newsom said last month.
The state of California, through Attorney General Rob Bonta, sued the administration, arguing that Trump’s federalization of the Guard violated the Constitution and state sovereignty.
However, a federal appeals court sided with the administration, ruling that Trump had the authority under existing federal statutes to activate the Guard in response to what the administration called a “threat to national security and public order.”
Troop Presence Reduced, But Not Gone
While 2,000 troops are being withdrawn, another 2,000 National Guard members will remain in Los Angeles, alongside an additional 700 U.S. Marines who were deployed under a separate order from Secretary Hegseth.
Military officials say the remaining forces are authorized to detain individuals who pose an immediate threat to federal personnel or property, but are prohibited from conducting arrests themselves — a measure intended to respect posse comitatus restrictions that limit military involvement in domestic law enforcement.
The Pentagon has described the ongoing presence as “stabilizing support” while local law enforcement continues to process criminal cases related to the protests and immigration raids.
National Implications
The unprecedented move to override the authority of a state governor has drawn scrutiny from legal scholars, civil rights advocates, and members of Congress. Critics warn that the use of military force in response to domestic protests could set a dangerous precedent.
“Deploying troops against your own citizens over immigration policy is an overreach of federal power and a threat to civil liberties,” said Rep. Barbara Lee (D-Calif.), who called for immediate congressional hearings into the deployment.
Meanwhile, Trump administration officials continue to defend the decision as necessary to protect federal personnel and infrastructure, pointing to alleged threats against immigration agents and federal courthouses in downtown Los Angeles.
With tensions still high, Hegseth and the Department of Defense say they will “continually reassess the security situation” in California and across the country in the weeks ahead.
