Pentagon deploying additional 2,000 troops to Los Angeles

UPDATE: The Department of Defense confirmed that President Trump has ordered the mobilization of an additional 2,000 California National Guard troops into federal service. According to Sean Parnell, Assistant to the Secretary of Defense for Public Affairs, the deployment is intended “to support ICE & to enable federal law-enforcement officers to safely conduct their duties.”

California Governor Gavin Newsom said he was informed that President Trump is deploying another 2,000 National Guard troops to the Los Angeles area, calling the move “reckless,” “pointless,” and “disrespectful to our troops.”

“I was just informed Trump is deploying another 2,000 Guard troops to L.A.,” Newsom said in a social media post on Monday. “This isn’t about public safety. It’s about stroking a dangerous President’s ego.”

Newsom claimed that most of the 2,000 previously deployed Guard members are not actively engaged and have been left without basic supplies. “Only approx. 300 are deployed — the rest are sitting, unused, in federal buildings without orders,” he said.

The post comes as the federally commanded Task Force 51 continues its operations in Los Angeles following widespread protests sparked by recent immigration raids. The task force includes approximately 2,100 National Guard soldiers placed under federal control and 700 active-duty Marines from the 2nd Battalion, 7th Marines, 1st Marine Division. The force is tasked with protecting federal personnel and property.

U.S. Northern Command confirmed earlier on Monday that the Marine unit had been activated over the weekend and would integrate with existing federal forces under Task Force 51. The Department of Defense has not publicly confirmed any new troop movements beyond the existing 2,800 personnel.

California officials, including Newsom and Attorney General Rob Bonta, have filed a lawsuit challenging the original order to federalize the state’s National Guard, arguing that it violates the 10th Amendment and exceeds presidential authority. The White House has defended the deployment as necessary to restore order.