Los Angeles [US], July 22 : The Pentagon has confirmed that 700 Marines deployed to Los Angeles last month amid protests over increased immigration enforcement will be withdrawn from the city, The Hill reported.
"With stability returning to Los Angeles, [Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth] has directed the redeployment of the 700 Marines whose presence sent a clear message: lawlessness will not be tolerated," said chief Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell in a statement to The Hill's sister outlet, NewsNation.
Parnell asserted that the Marines' "unmistakable presence" had been "instrumental in restoring order and upholding the rule of law," although most of the troops were rarely seen in public after an initial show of force in June, The Hill noted.
The Trump administration has continued scaling back its military footprint in Los Angeles after President Trump ordered the deployment of roughly 4,100 California National Guard troops and subsequently 700 Marines to manage the fallout from public backlash over ICE raids. The Hill reported that the decision drew strong criticism from California state leaders.
California Governor Gavin Newsom sharply opposed the deployments, saying the Trump administration bypassed his authority and "inflamed tensions" with an "unnecessary" show of force. "Thousands of members are still federalized in Los Angeles for no reason and unable to carry out their critical duties across the state," Newsom said in a statement posted to X on July 15. "End this theater and send everyone home."
The Hill further reported that after protests subsided across Los Angeles, many deployed troops had little to do. Last week, Hegseth ordered half of the 4,000 remaining Guard members to return home, leaving 2,000 personnel to continue protecting ICE agents during immigration enforcement operations.
An additional 150 National Guardsmen had previously been redeployed from Los Angeles to assist in battling wildfires in other parts of California, according to The Hill.
Parnell did not specify an exact date for the Marines' departure, but a defense official told The Washington Post they are expected to return to Twentynine Palms Base within the next few days.
In a video message posted to X on Monday, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass welcomed the decision and echoed Newsom's sentiments. "The Marines will be able to go back to their families and will be leaving Los Angeles," she said. "I'd like to say that they heard from the people of Los Angeles: This was an unnecessary deployment," The Hill reported.