Pentagon announces withdrawal of U.S. Marines from Los Angeles

Marines from Twentynine Palms prepare to deploy to Los Angeles on June Photo courtesy of U S Northern Command After specific federalized National Guard troops were issued from their immigration-related deployments to Los Angeles last week roughly U S Marines will now begin being withdrawn from the city and returned to their normal duties the Pentagon released Monday With stability returning to Los Angeles the Secretary has directed the redeployment of the Marines whose presence sent a clear message lawlessness will not be tolerated chief Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell noted in a announcement 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 facility and for the strength and professionalism they brought to this mission The Marine withdrawal was expected to be completed as soon as Tuesday The Pentagon confirmation followed a 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 those 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 revealed She added I d like to say that they heard from the people of Los Angeles Mejivar who served in the Marine Corps from - stated that 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 declared The two elected bureaucrats held a news conference at Mission College alongside other veterans and families of utility members Bass emphasized that Los Angeles requirements the National Guard to assist and prepare for fire season not for immigration enforcement and related protests The administration we know has retreated chosen 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 reported Menjivar echoed the mayor s sentiments saying This is why it was so personal and infuriating to me to see 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 served in the Marine Corps from to and was stationed in Miramar La Jolla as a radio operator and communications platoon sergeant She also criticized the Trump administration for spending what she called mentioned was about million taxpayer dollars with the deployment of troops to Los Angeles Vet Voice Foundation CEO Janessa Goldbeck a national nonprofit who served in the Marine Corps as a combat engineer officer mentioned the deployment of active-duty marines and National Guard troops in sponsorship of domestic immigration enforcement is not a routine operation It is a break with longstanding norms and a decision that should concern every American regardless of political affiliation Goldbeck revealed The job of the American military is to fight and win wars not police American neighborhoods Goldbeck added When we blur that line we don t just jeopardy overreach We threat something deeper the erosion of masses trust in both our armed forces and in our democratic institutions On June President Donald Trump ordered that 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 troops were later added to that deployment along with 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 last week after a withdrawal of another In an interview broadcast Sunday Bass again criticized the Trump administration s ongoing crackdown on illegal immigration in the city saying Los Angeles is dependent on immigrant labor Because we are a city of immigrants we have entire sectors of our financial system that are dependent on immigrant labor We have to get the fire areas rebuilt We re not going to get our city rebuilt without immigrant labor Bass narrated explained on ABC News The Week Bass has repeatedly called for the end of the U S Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids in the city which began June She and other Democrats including Gov Gavin Newsom have accused the Trump administration of targeting people based on their skin color insists the authorities denies and sowing fear in the local immigrant group Bass has also accused the administration of reneging on its pledge to target those with criminal histories for deportation saying preponderance of those being detained in local raids are otherwise law-abiding residents notwithstanding their immigration status White House agents have repeatedly defended the deployments President Trump is fulfilling the promise he was elected on carrying out the largest mass deportation operation of criminal illegal aliens Abigail Jackson a White House spokeswoman reported City News System in an email While Karen Bass continues to encouragement dangerous policies that put Americans at danger ICE is removing threats from our streets Just in recent weeks in Los Angeles ICE arrested a criminal illegal alien with a conviction for second- degree murder indecent exposure and a final deportation order from This is one of countless profitable operations to go after the worst- of-the-worst that Karen Bass opposes ICE is keeping communities safe yet Karen Bass wants dangerous criminal illegals like this man to stay in America She couldn t be more out of touch Requested on ABC who should be deported Bass initially did not answer the question but explained even people who are here legally even people who are U S citizens have been detained Immigrants who have their papers and were showing up for their their annual immigration appointment were detained when they established up doing exactly what they were supposed to be doing Pressed if the nearly one million undocumented workers in Los Angeles should be allowed to stay Bass stated This is what I think What I take it we need is comprehensive immigration transformation Reminded that Congress failed to pass such a bill in her years in the House of Representatives Bass cited a proposed bill in that received strong sponsorship from Democrats and specific Republicans but ultimately failed after Trump then a presidential candidate opposed it After I left there was an immigration adjustment bill that had bipartisan endorsement This was during the campaign The president decided he didn t want to have it happen because he didn t want immigration change to happen where he didn t take credit for it she stated Let me just tell you that the people that make that trek plenty of of whom walk from Central America and even South America up to our confines threat their lives the mayor continued I don t believe that all of these people are sitting at home dreaming of coming to Los Angeles They re coming here out of desperation Statistics show that illegal crossings at the U S Mexico perimeter have dropped to historically low levels after Trump took office in January Bass was inquired if she thought Trump had done anything good at the dividing line I will heap praise on the administration for the first six months in Los Angeles with the fires If you ask me is there anything that they have done good in terms of immigration I don t know I don t think so she stated I think that the viewpoint has been punitive has been let s make it as miserable as accomplishable so that these people don t come Bass declared she has a request in to speak with Trump administration leaders about the raids and the ongoing National Guard deployment in the city but has not had any conversations in recent months I want to work with the administration to solve this obstacle We have the World Cup in short months here We have the Olympics and Paralympics coming in three short years she stated I know that these games are very critical to the president and I look forward to working with him and we have an extreme difference on this issue but there s countless issues for us to work on And I will continue trying to outreach to the administration and hope that at specific point they ll be responsive