Wed Jul 16 04:08:14 UTC 2025: **Trump Administration Withdraws Half of National Guard Troops from Los Angeles Amid Immigration Raid Controversy**
**Los Angeles, CA** – The Trump administration announced Tuesday the withdrawal of approximately 2,000 National Guard troops from Los Angeles, representing roughly half of the federal forces deployed to the city last month to assist in immigration enforcement. The move follows weeks of widespread protests and legal challenges against the administration’s tactics.
Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell attributed the withdrawal to a perceived decrease in “lawlessness” in Los Angeles. President Trump had initially deployed around 4,000 National Guard members and 700 Marines in early June to support federal immigration raids, which, according to Department of Homeland Security figures, have led to the arrest of 2,792 undocumented immigrants.
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass hailed the troop reduction as a “retreat,” attributing it to the unified opposition of the city’s residents. “This happened because the people of Los Angeles stood united and stood strong,” Bass stated. She credited peaceful protests, rallies, and legal action, including a lawsuit that resulted in a federal judge barring immigration officers from detaining individuals solely based on race or for speaking Spanish.
However, California Governor Gavin Newsom criticized the remaining deployment, stating, “thousands of members are still federalised in Los Angeles for no reason and unable to carry out their critical duties across the state.” He called for the complete withdrawal of troops, labeling the situation a “theatre.” Newsom’s office had previously reported that the deployment was negatively impacting the state’s ability to fight wildfires, with National Guard firefighting crews operating at significantly reduced capacity.
Despite legal challenges, a US appeals court has allowed Trump to maintain control of California’s National Guard, marking the first instance since 1965 of a president deploying the National Guard against the wishes of a state governor.
The deployment to Los Angeles is part of a broader strategy by the Trump administration to utilize the military in immigration enforcement. Thousands of active-duty troops have also been deployed to the border with Mexico, and military zones have been established in the border region to allow for the detention of migrants without triggering the Insurrection Act.
The announcement comes amid growing national support for immigration and decreasing support for mass deportations of undocumented immigrants.
First Piper 