The Trump administration plans to recall the 2,000 National Guard members that were sent to Los Angeles last month, claiming that the city is now sufficiently peaceful for the president to begin removing the federalised troops.
700 Marines and 2,000 additional guard troops remain in the region as a result of the recall; they have been tasked with defending immigration officials and agents while they attempt to apprehend undocumented immigrants.
Defense Department officials said the recall is a measure of success.
“Thanks to our troops who stepped up to answer the call, the lawlessness in Los Angeles is subsiding,” Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said.
Violent anti-ICE demonstrations have cooled down in the city in recent weeks, though Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass saw the withdrawal as a “retreat” for President Trump.
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Mr. Trump federalised and deployed troops from California’s National Guard in early June after rioters attacked immigration officers and tried to storm a facility where they were processing illegal immigrant arrestees.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement said it asked local authorities for assistance but it was delayed, risking officers’ safety.
Local officials, while blasting ICE for the immigration arrest surge, insisted they were not hanging ICE out to dry and did in fact deploy local police to help as soon as possible.
Mr. Trump was not convinced and federalized the Guard.
Governor Gavin Newsom sued and a district court judge agreed with him, finding Mr. Trump overstepped his powers. But an appeals court put that ruling on hold, finding Mr. Trump likely did act within his expansive commander-in-chief powers.
Yet another district judge last week ruled that ICE was making illegal sweeps through the city, rounding up illegal immigrants based on race and language without having a reasonable suspicion of their unlawful immigration status.
The Trump administration has appealed that decision.
