Pentagon to withdraw 700 marines from Los Angeles amid eased tensions

Los Angeles: 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that 700 Marines deployed to Los Angeles last month amid protests over increased immigration enforcement will be withdrawn from the city, The Hill reported.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.” (ANI)

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