The deployment of nearly 5,000 National Guard troops to Los Angeles in early June remains contentious, with a three-day trial underway to challenge its legality. The move followed protests over immigration raids and was opposed by Governor Gavin Newsom.
The Pentagon had released most of the federalized California National Guard members by July 1, but about 300 troops remain. Those still on duty are “supporting the request for assistance” from federal law enforcement agents, according to William Harrington, the deputy chief of staff for the Army task force with tactical control over the Guard troops.
However, officials at the California National Guard and Northern Command say the remaining troops are mostly on standby or guarding federal buildings and not being used for immigration enforcement. The Los Angeles protests were largely confined to a section of downtown, but Democratic leaders said the administration’s actions provoked them by sending masked and armed federal agents into workplaces to detain immigrants.
The state swiftly sued to end the mobilization, which was initially ruled illegal by a federal judge. However, an appeals court blocked that ruling, allowing the deployment to continue. The Trump administration claimed the troops were necessary to protect federal agents in a jurisdiction with state sanctuary laws prohibiting local authorities from conducting immigration enforcement.
Complaints have mounted from those who have been deployed, including soldiers who claim they received little more than guarding federal facilities or providing backup to immigration agents. The activation has also damaged the California National Guard’s ability to handle other critical duties, and several members of the force reported morale was severely eroded during their deployment.
Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/11/us/politics/trump-national-guard-los-angeles-lawsuits.html