LOS ANGELES (CNS) – After some 2,000 federalized National Guard troops were released from their immigration-related deployments to Los Angeles last week, roughly 700 U.S. Marines will be withdrawn from the city and returned to their normal duties as soon as Tuesday, the Pentagon announced.
“With stability returning to Los Angeles, the secretary has directed the redeployment of the 700 Marines whose presence sent a clear message: lawlessness will no be tolerated,” chief Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said in a statement Monday, referring to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
“Their rapid response, unwavering discipline and unmistakable presence were instrumental in restoring order and upholding the rule of law. We’re deeply grateful for their service, and for the strength and professionalism they brought to this mission.”
The Pentagon confirmation followed a Monday morning news conference in Sylmar in which L.A. Mayor Karen Bass and state Sen. Caroline Mejivar, D- Panorama City, posted a video on social media hailing the decision to redeploy the 700 Marines.
“We just had a press conference calling for the removal of all of the troops, and we just got word that the Marines will be able to go back to their families and will be leaving Los Angeles,” Bass said.
She added, “I’d like to say that they heard from the people of Los Angeles.”
Mejivar, who served in the Marine Corps from 2009-16, said the deployment of troops to L.A. was unnecessary.
“I’m so glad to hear my brothers and sisters are going back to their base,” Mejivar said.
The two officials held a news conference at Mission College alongside other veterans and families of service members. Bass emphasized that Los Angeles needs the National Guard to assist and prepare for fire season, not for immigration enforcement and related protests.
“The administration, we know, has retreated some of the forces, but we need all the troops to return home and to not be here, to not be used as political stunts, to not be used to intimidate Angelenos, and to not be used as pawns,” Bass said.
Menjivar echoed the mayor’s sentiments, saying, “This is why it was so personal and infuriating to me to see 700 of my brothers and sisters in the corps deployed to my backyard because we did not sign up to intimidate and potentially take military action against Americans on American soil, who are exercising their constitutional right to protest.”
Menjivar also criticized the Trump administration for spending what she called said was about $134 million taxpayer dollars with the deployment of troops to Los Angeles.
L.A. County Supervisor Hilda Solis called the withdrawal of Marines “long overdue.”
“There is no place for a militarized presence in our communities — especially when residents are peacefully demonstrating and exercising their constitutional rights,” Solis said in a statement. “These armed service members trained for battlefield, not for deployment among civilians.”
She further called on the federal government to release the remaining National Guard members.
“There are natural disasters across the state and nation, where their skills and service are urgently needed. That is where they belong,” Solis added.
On June 7, President Donald Trump ordered that 2,000 California National Guard troops be brought under federal control and deployed to Los Angeles to protect federal facilities and personnel one day after sometimes destructive protests erupted — mainly in the downtown area. The protests came in reaction to widespread immigration raids and other enforcement actions.
Another 2,000 troops were later added to that deployment, along with 700 U.S. Marines tasked with guarding federal property.
The number of federalized California National Guard troops deployed to the Los Angeles area was cut to 2,000 last week after a withdrawal of another 2,000.
Bass and other local Democrats have repeatedly criticized the Trump administration’s ongoing crackdown on illegal immigration in the city, charging that the government is flouting legal concerns in targeting people based on skin color, and accusing the administration of reneging on its pledge to target those with criminal histories for deportation.
White House officials have denied those allegations, and point to Trump’s campaign pledges to carry out mass deportations of undocumented immigrants and to the historically low number of illegal crossings at the U.S./Mexico border since Trump took office in January.
Meanwhile, U.S. officials continue to release the names and details of some detainees with alleged criminal histories. The most recent postings from Homeland Security Investigations include the following:
— Quan Nguyen, 54, a Vietnamese national, was detained for immigration violations on July 17. Nguyen allegedly has a criminal conviction for assault with a deadly weapon and arrests for attempted murder and felony parole violations.
— Naeem Riaz Tyab, 59, a Canadian national, was detained for immigration violations on July 17. Tyab allegedly has a criminal conviction for conspiracy to violate the Foreign Corrupt Practice Act and was sentenced to 36 months in prison.
— Hang Ling, 31, a Chinese national, was detained for immigration violations on July 17. Ling allegedly has been arrested for felony theft of utility services, vandalism, possession of marijuana for sale, and cultivation of marijuana plants.
— Chue Vue, 37, a Laotian national, was detained for immigration violations on July 17. Vue allegedly has criminal convictions for attempted murder and seven counts of assault with a deadly weapon.
— Manuel Yanez-Flor, 55, a Mexican national, was detained for immigration violations on July 16. Yanez allegedly has criminal convictions for felony possession of a controlled substance.
— Ronoldi Antonio Realegeno-Cornejo, 36, an El Salvadorian national, was detained for immigration violations on July 16. Realegeno-Cornejo allegedly has criminal convictions for threaten crime with intent to terrorize, and assault with a deadly weapon.
— Jason Gutierrez-Pulido, 28, a Mexican national, was detained on July 15. Gutierrez allegedly was found in possession of 3 kilograms of fentanyl, and allegedly has criminal convictions for possession of a controlled substance and possession with intent.
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