The Pentagon is pulling back roughly half of the National Guard troops currently deployed in Los Angeles, reducing the military presence that was initially sent to manage protests against Trump administration immigration policies.

The size of the National Guard force in the region will decline from 4,000 members to about 2,000 members. The deployment began in early June, and alongside the National Guard members, some 700 Marines had been stationed in the area.

California Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom challenged the deployment in court, arguing that the effort violated the Posse Comitatus Act, an 1878 law that restricts military involvement in civilian policing.

A federal judge initially sided with Newsom, ruling that the deployment exceeded presidential authority. But an appeals court later reversed this decision, which allowed federal control over the troops to continue at least temporarily. The legal dispute remains active, with additional arguments expected next month.

The partial withdrawal also comes as California faces a dangerous fire season: state officials had requested some National Guard members be reassigned to wildfire duties due to critical staffing shortages.

Newsom has criticized the entire operation as politically motivated. “These troops were pulled from their families and civilian jobs to serve a political purpose,” he said during a press conference last week.

The official continues pushing for a complete withdrawal of all remaining forces. This ongoing federal-state dispute highlights tensions over Trump administration immigration enforcement.

Chief Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell defended the operation. "Thanks to our troops who stepped up to answer the call, the lawlessness in Los Angeles is subsiding," he noted in an official statement.