Latest news with #CaliforniaNationalGuardsmen
UPI
16-07-2025
- Politics
- UPI
Pentagon recalls 2K National Guard troops from Los Angeles
Immigration raid demonstrators protest at City Hall in downtown Los Angeles on Thursday, June 12, 2025. Photo by Jim Ruymen/UPI | License Photo July 16 (UPI) -- The Trump administration has recalled 2,000 National Guard troops from Los Angeles, where they were deployed by President Donald Trump last month to quell anti-raid protests and to protect immigration law enforcement arresting migrants. "Thanks to our troops who stepped up to answer the call, the lawlessness in Los Angeles is subsiding," chief Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said in a statement, The Hill and ABC News reported. "As such, the secretary has ordered the release of 2,000 California National Guardsmen (79th IBCT) from the federal protection." Trump, who campaigned on mass deportations while using derogatory rhetoric and misinformation, has been conducting a crackdown on immigration since returning to the White House. On June 6, Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents began conducting raids in Los Angeles, sparking protests in the city. In response, Trump deployed some 2,000 California National Guardsmen, later increasing the number to more than 4,000, as well as hundreds of U.S. Marines, attracting the anger of local politicians. California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat and a Trump critic, filed a lawsuit accusing the president of violating the Constitution by taking over the California National Guard, "which has needlessly escalated chaos and violence in the Los Angeles region," his office said in a statement. Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, a Democrat, celebrated the Pentagon move on Tuesday as being a result of the city's protest against the deployment. "This happened because the people of Los Angeles stood united and stood strong. We organized peaceful protests, we came together at rallies, we took the Trump administration to court -- all of this led to today's retreat," she said in a statement. "My message today to Angelenos is clear -- I will never stop fighting for this city. We will not stop making our voices heard until this ends, not just here in LA, but throughout our country."
USA Today
16-07-2025
- Politics
- USA Today
Pentagon pulls 2,000 National Guard members from Los Angeles in immigration rollback
WASHINGTON ― The Trump administration is pulling half of the California National Guard members it deployed to Los Angeles in a major rollback of President Donald Trump's militarized response to protests in Southern California over immigration arrests and raids. 'Thanks to our troops who stepped up to answer the call, the lawlessness in Los Angeles is subsiding," Chief Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said in a July 15 statement. "As such, the Secretary has ordered the release of 2,000 California National Guardsmen (79th IBCT) from the federal protection mission." Trump deployed 4,000 California National Guardsmen on June 7 to respond to protests that racked the southern part of the state after he stepped up immigration raids and arrests, targeting farms, restaurants, and hardware stores across the Los Angeles area. He also ordered 700 Marines to the city that were tasked with guarding federal property. The deployment was decried by the state's Democratic lawmakers, who have called an overreach of presidential authority and accused Trump of inciting violence. Trump has claimed that the "Los Angeles would be burning right now" if not for the military presence. California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat who sued the Trump administration over the guard's deployment, called for Trump to release the remaining National Guard members from Los Angeles now that half have been pulled. 'While nearly 2,000 of them are starting to demobilize, the remaining guards members continue without a mission, without direction and without any hopes of returning to help their communities,' Newsom said in a statement Tuesday. We call on Trump and the Department of Defense to end this theater and send everyone home now.' Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass claimed victory after Trump's withdrawal of guardsmen. 'This happened because the people of Los Angeles stood united and stood strong," Bass said in a statement. "We organized peaceful protests, we came together at rallies, we took the Trump administration to court ‒ all of this led to today's retreat." Bass added: "We will not stop making our voices heard until this ends, not just here in LA, but throughout our country.' One National Guard brigade is being withdrawn from Los Angeles, according to a Defense official who was not authorized to speak publicly. About one brigade, with several thousand soldiers, remains. An appeals court ruled in June that Trump could keep control over the National Guard troops. Trump, upon his return Tuesday night to the White House after traveling to Pittsburgh, did not respond to a shouted question from a reporter about his decision to pull the guardsmen from Los Angeles.
Yahoo
13-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
The difference between the Insurrection Act and martial law
It's been a significant week for civil-military relations. Since immigration protests started in Los Angeles on June 6, about 4,000 federalized California National Guardsmen and 700 Marines have been ordered to deploy to the city to protect federal personnel and buildings. If President Donald Trump invokes the Insurrection Act, federal troops would also be authorized to enforce civilian laws on American soil. First passed in 1807, the Insurrection Act is often confused with martial law, but the two are very different. Martial law is an undefined term that generally describes a situation where the military can become the government, according to the Brennan Center for Justice at New York University School of Law. Federal and state officials in the United States have declared martial law 68 times in the past. When the Hawaiian Islands were placed under martial law following the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, civilians were tried before military tribunals. 'The term 'martial law' is not found in the Constitution or defined in federal law, and the Insurrection Act is not a statutory equivalent,' said retired Maj. Gen. Charles Dunlap, former deputy judge advocate general of the Air Force. 'Essentially, the Insurrection Act gives the military the authority to act much like civilian police to enforce the law. It does not displace civilian authority as martial law would seem to do. Though states have declared martial law from time to time, the Brennan Center notes — correctly, in my opinion — that the Supreme Court has never explicitly held that the federal government has martial law authority.' Here's hoping that clears up any confusion on the matter. As they say, knowing is half the battle. With that, here's your weekly rundown. What's old is new again. Trump announced on Tuesday that seven Army bases that previously honored Confederates would go back to their old names, but just as was the case with Fort Bragg, North Carolina, and Fort Benning, Georgia, the posts will have new namesakes, including a Delta Force soldier. For example, A.P. Hill in Virginia is now named for three soldiers: Pvt. Bruce Anderson, 1st Sgt. Robert A. Pinn, and Lt. Col. Edward Hill. Cancellation watch: Constellation-class frigates. The Navy's Constellation-class frigates, which are already three years behind schedule and overbudget, now face a new problem: They are nearly 867 tons overweight. The Army's M10 Booker also had a weight problem and was ultimately canceled. Highest ranking transgender officer talks about separations. Space Force Col. Bree Fram, the U.S. military's most senior transgender officer, talked to Task & Purpose about how many details on the Defense Department's involuntary separation process for transgender troops remain vague. 'I want to stress that although this is labeled voluntarily, neither the 'voluntary' or 'involuntary' process is a choice, or what anyone wanted or would have done,' Fram told T&P's Nicholas Slayton. Dhow captain in deadly SEAL mission found guilty. A Pakistani man who was serving as captain of a dhow — a small vessel — when two Navy SEALs died while trying to board it in January 2024 has been found guilty of charges for smuggling Iranian-made weapons to Houthi rebels in Yemen, according to the Justice Department. Muhammad Pahlawan, 49, was convicted of conspiring to provide material support and resources to terrorists, providing material support and resources to Iran's weapons of mass destruction program, and related offenses. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 22, and most of the offenses for which he has been convicted have a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. Happy early birthday to the U.S. Army! Saturday marks the Army's 250th birthday, and here's a list of all the equipment — some dating back to World War II — that will be part of the service's parade in Washington, D.C. This event will include 26 M1 Abrams tanks along with two M4 Sherman tanks. Just a quick note: We know that M2 Bradley Fighting Vehicles are not tanks, so there's no need to remind us. Thank you for reading, and may your weekend be free of urgent emails, texts, and phone calls! Jeff Schogol
