Trump administration begins withdrawing National Guard from Los Angeles

ISTANBUL

The Trump administration has ordered roughly 2,000 California National Guard members to begin demobilizing from their federal mission in Los Angeles, more than a month after President Donald Trump deployed them despite objections from state officials, the Pentagon said Tuesday, according to CBC News.

The troops were activated in early June under Title 10 authority, which allows the president to federalize the National Guard during a “rebellion” or when regular forces cannot enforce US law.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom had fiercely opposed the deployment, calling it an “unprecedented power grab” and suing the administration to block it.

“Thanks to our troops who stepped up to answer the call, the lawlessness in Los Angeles is subsiding,” Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said in a statement.

About half of the deployed Guard members will now return home, though Newsom continues to push for a full withdrawal.

“For more than a month, the National Guard has been pulled away from their families, communities and civilian work to serve as political pawns for the President in Los Angeles,” Newsom said. “While nearly 2,000 of them are starting to demobilize, the remaining guards members continue without a mission, without direction and without any hopes of returning to help their communities.”

Newsom and other local leaders have criticized the deployment as unnecessary and potentially inflaming tensions, while federal officials argued that local law enforcement failed to adequately protect Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents -- a claim local officials deny.

A federal judge initially sided with Newsom, but an appeals court later ruled the president likely acted within his authority, allowing the mission to proceed.

During a recent visit to Los Angeles, Vice President JD Vance defended the federal response as “very much necessary” and said the situation had improved.