Trump administration ending deployment of 2,000 National Guard troops in LA
Chief Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell announced the decision in a statement.
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Roughly 4,000 National Guard troops and 700 Marines had been deployed. It was not clear how long the rest would stay in the region.
The troops were tasked with protecting federal buildings and guarding immigration agents as they carry out arrests.
Donald Trump (Evan Vucci/AP)
The deployment began in early June and was slated to last 60 days.
President Donald Trump ordered the deployment of about 4,000 California National Guard troops and 700 active duty Marines in early June to respond to a series of protests against immigration raids in and around Los Angeles.
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Their deployment went against the wishes of state governor Gavin Newsom, who sued to stop the deployment.
A district court judge initially said Mr Trump acted illegally when he deployed the Guard over Mr Newsom's opposition, but an appeals court said the administration could keep control of the troops. The case is continuing.
Mr Newsom said the National Guard's deployment to LA has pulled troops away from their families and civilian work 'to serve as political pawns for the president in Los Angeles'.
'While nearly 2,000 of them are starting to demobilise, the remaining guardsmembers continue without a mission, without direction and without any hopes of returning to help their communities,' he said in a statement.
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'We call on Trump and the Department of Defence to end this theatre and send everyone home now.'
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