National Guard Withdrawal from LA Raises Questions

Approximately 4,000 National Guard troops alongside 700 Marines have been stationed in the city since the start of June. In a recent announcement, the Pentagon confirmed the withdrawal of 2,000 National Guard troops from Los Angeles, which forms almost half of the forces that were deployed to the city due to protests sparked by the Trump administration’s stringent immigration policies.

However, mystery still surrounds what led the 60-day deployment to be terminated abruptly and when the remaining troops would be ordered to exit the region. Toward the end of June, a senior military official supervising the forces assigned to LA requested the return of 200 troops to tackle wildfires, responding to warnings from California’s Governor Newsom about the inadequate staffing of the Guard during the critical wildfire season.

Interestingly, the closure of the deployment followed after federal authorities alongside National Guard troops, armed and on horses, arrived at MacArthur Park in a rather abrupt operation. The Office of Homeland Security has not yet provided any explanation regarding the objective of the operation nor confirmed if any arrests were made. However, local authorities believe this operation was likely intended to create a sense of fear among residents.

Back on June 8, large numbers of protesters inundated the streets in reaction to Trump’s decision to deploy the Guard. These protests quickly escalated to the point of closing down a major freeway while law enforcement officials deployed tear gas, fired rubber bullets and utilized flash bangs in an attempt to subdue the crowd.

On the subsequent day, violent clashes continued as police officers used flash bangs and fired projectiles, pushing protesters through Little Tokyo. Citizens and restaurant workforce were seen hastily moving out of harm’s way. To maintain order and protect local businesses, Mayor Karen Bass enforced a week-long curfew.

Over the past few weeks, the city and its adjacent regions have seen mostly small-scale, spontaneous protests following arrests. As the primary duty of the deployed Marines is safeguarding federal buildings, a considerable number of the National Guard troops have been assisting agents in executing immigration operations.

The deemed controversial order to deploy the National Guard was made by President Donald Trump against the wishes of the California Governor, Gavin Newsom. In response, Newsom initiated legal proceedings to halt the action.

Newsom launched a lawsuit to resist Trump’s command over the California National Guard, putting forward the argument that the deployment of troops in defiance of his opposition was an act of illegality. He further suggested that the National Guard troops were likely in violation of the Posse Comitatus Act, a federal law that prohibits military personnel from performing civil law enforcement actions on U.S. territory.

In the wake of Newsom’s legal countermove, he achieved an initial victory after a federal judge declared the Guard’s deployment as illegal and beyond President Trump’s legal power. However, the victory was short-lived as an appeal court overruled the order, leaving the troops under the control of the federal government.

A federal court is preparing to hear arguments in the next month over whether the deployed troops are breaching the Posse Comitatus Act. The National Guard’s deployment, originally set for 60 days, could be shortened or extended at the discretion of the Defense Secretary based on the changing circumstances on ground.

After the Pentagon’s decision on troop withdrawal was made public, Governor Newsom commented that the deployment of the National Guard to Los Angeles County had taken troops away from their families and jobs. He claimed that the remaining troops have been left with no mission, no direction and no hope of returning to their home communities.

He lineated, ‘We urge President Trump and the Department of Defense to stop this act and immediately send everyone back home.’