Thousands of members of the National Guard to be withdrawn from Los Angeles: Pentagon

The Pentagon confirmed Tuesday that 2,000 National Guardsmen are being withdrawn from Los Angeles.

Close to 4,700 California National Guardsmen and active-duty Marines were deployed to Los Angeles last month by President Donald Trump in order to protect federal buildings during Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids. 

“Thanks to our troops who stepped up to answer the call, the lawlessness in Los Angeles is subsiding. As such, the Secretary has ordered the release of 2,000 California National Guardsmen (79th IBCT) from the federal protection mission,” Chief Pentagon Spokesman Sean Parnell told ABC News.

The troops deployed to Los Angeles were there for security purposes while ICE was conducting raids and arresting illegal migrants.

Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom said that the Guard wouldn’t have enough resources to fight wildfires if all the troops were in Los Angeles. 

U.S. Northern Command head Gen. Gregory Guillot requested that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth return 200 of the troops to the wildfire unit.