Pentagon pulls marines from LA after Trump’s controversial crackdown
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Trump’s deployment of active-duty Marines to Los Angeles, bypassing state authority, has drawn fierce criticism as a political stunt.
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Protesters confront Marines outside the Federal Building, on July 4, 2025, in Los Angeles (AP)
The Pentagon announced Monday that 700 active-duty Marines deployed to Los Angeles last month will be withdrawn in the coming days, signaling a de-escalation of federal military presence amid easing tensions in the city.
Tensions escalated in Los Angeles in June following a series of federal immigration raids that resulted in the reported detention of dozens of people. Unfolding across multiple sites, the raids were part of US President Donald Trump's intensified crackdown on undocumented migrants.
The Marines were originally sent to LA on June 9 following a wave of large-scale protests triggered by the Trump administration’s intensified immigration enforcement campaign. The unrest began after Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents carried out coordinated raids on local businesses, detaining hundreds of people suspected of being undocumented. In total, more than 4,000 National Guard troops were also deployed to the city.
The White House defended the ICE operations as a key part of President Donald Trump’s broader crackdown on illegal immigration, with officials stating that the raids would continue.
Pentagon: 'Lawlessness will not be tolerated'
Chief Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell confirmed the redeployment in a statement carried by multiple US outlets. “With stability returning to Los Angeles, the Secretary [of Defense] has directed the redeployment of the 700 Marines,” Parnell said. He praised their “rapid response” and added that their presence “sent a clear message: lawlessness will not be tolerated.”
The troops are expected to return to their base at Twentynine Palms, located roughly 150 miles (241 kilometers) east of Los Angeles, according to The Washington Post.
The controversial deployment was executed without prior approval from California Governor Gavin Newsom, breaking with decades of precedent and prompting concerns over federal overreach. The governor’s office issued a formal complaint last month, questioning the legality and necessity of active-duty military presence on city streets.
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, a vocal critic of the deployment, responded to the Pentagon’s decision on X, calling the withdrawal “a victory". Bass had previously accused the Trump administration of using the military to intimidate immigrant communities and escalate tensions unnecessarily.
The Marines are withdrawing.
— Mayor Karen Bass (@MayorOfLA) July 21, 2025
This is another win for Los Angeles. pic.twitter.com/g38dhFjXPY
The episode has reignited debate over the militarization of immigration enforcement and the use of federal troops in domestic crises. Civil liberties organizations have warned that such moves risk setting dangerous precedents, especially when carried out unilaterally by the executive branch.
While protests in downtown LA have largely subsided, the ICE raids that sparked the unrest are ongoing, leaving communities wary of further crackdowns and questioning how immigration enforcement will unfold in the coming weeks.
'Deport one million migrants'
Earlier in April, the Trump administration set its sights on a striking goal: deporting one million immigrants within a single year, a figure that would shatter all historical records. According to a Washington Post report citing four current and former federal officials with direct knowledge of internal discussions, the "1 million" target has repeatedly come up in private strategy sessions as the driving ambition behind the administration’s intensified deportation campaign during Trump’s first year back in office.
Deporting such a large number would significantly outpace prior records. The highest annual deportation figure to date was slightly over 400,000 during the Obama administration. However, officials say it remains unclear how Trump’s team is calculating the numbers.
Given current staffing levels, limited resources, and legal obligations, such as the requirement for court hearings in most cases, analysts cited in the report say the one-million deportation goal appears highly unrealistic, if not outright logistically unfeasible.
