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MONDAY, AUGUST 04-AUGUST 10, 2025
Feds order more National Guard troops to leave Los Angeles
VOL. 14,
Governor’s order stops duplexes in LA fire rebuilding zones By Joe Taglieri
By Joe Taglieri
joet@beaconmedianews.com
joet@beaconmedianews.com
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he number of troops guarding federal buildings in the Los Angeles area reduced further Wednesday after U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth ordered over 1,300 to end their deployment. President Donald Trump federalized several thousand California National Guard troops in June to assist immigration enforcement operations and protect federal facilities amid civil unrest in response to the administration’s mass deportation effort throughout Southern California and nationwide. “On Wednesday, Secretary Hegseth ordered the release of approximately 1,350 California National Guardsmen from the federal protection mission,” Chief Pentagon Spokesman Sean Parnell said in a statement. “Approximately 250 California National Guardsmen remain in Los Angeles to protect federal personnel and property. We greatly appreciate the support of the more than 5,000 Guardsmen and Marines who mobilized to Los Angeles to defend Federal functions against the rampant lawlessness occurring in the city.” Gov. Gavin Newsom welcomed the move and called for the remaining military personnel’s withdrawal. “President Trump is realizing that his political theater backfired. This militarization was always unnecessary and deeply unpopular,” Newsom said in his statement. “The President must do the right thing to end this illegal militarization now because the economic and societal impacts are dire. The women and men of our military deserve more than to be used as props in the federal government’s propaganda
California National Guard soldiers do riot and crowd control training in June at a facility in Los Alamitos. | Photo courtesy of Sgt. Jon Soucy/National Guard
machine.” Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass also praised the drawdown. “Another win for Los Angeles,” Bass posted on social media Wednesday night. “We will continue this pressure until ALL troops are out of L.A.” Wednesday’s order follows the Pentagon’s earlier removal of about 2,000 California National Guard troops and 700 active-duty U.S. Marines from the LA area. In June, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement began operations in Los Angeles and throughout the county, triggering widespread protests and clashes with federal immigration agents. In response, Trump ordered 2,000 California National Guard troops be placed under federal control and sent to Los Angeles to protect federal property. An additional 2,000 Cal Guard soldiers and 700 Marines later joined the deployment. Since the June 7 deployment, Newsom and others
have criticized Trump’s federalization of the National Guard. The governor, Bass and Democratic politicians in the region called the move an unnecessary militarization of immigration law enforcement, and Newsom and California Attorney General Rob Bonta filed a lawsuit challenging the legality of the federalization. A federal judge, however, ruled in favor of the Trump administration. The Pentagon estimated the LA troops deployment will cost around $134 million. Newsom’s office noted adverse economic consequences for the LA region as a result of the administration’s deportation campaign. “The number of people reporting to work in the private sector in California decreased by 3.1% — a downturn only recently matched by the period when people stayed home from work during the COVID-19 lockdown,” according to the governor’s office. State officials said the
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immigration raids, as well as the Trump administration’s tariff policies, will likely cause the state’s economy to contract later this year as Los Angeles and other cities experience disruptions in the key sectors of construction, hospitality, and agriculture, a UCLA Anderson forecast reported. The governor’s office estimated that “mass arrests, detentions and deportations in California could slash $275 billion from the state’s economy and eliminate $23 billion in annual tax revenue,” officials said. Undocumented immigrants contributed $8.5 billion in state and local taxes in 2022, with an estimated increase to $10.3 billion if they could apply to work lawfully, according to Newsom’s office. Last week, U.S. Sen. Alex Padilla, D-California, proposed legislation that aims to make it easier for undocumented residents to obtain legal immigration status and work permits.
ov. Gavin Newsom on Wednesday exempted fire-ravaged areas of Los Angeles County from a state law that allows duplexes and multiunit residences to replace singlefamily homes. The governor’s executive order came after local officials voiced concerns about increased population density possibly leading to public safety and infrastructure issues. The order allows local governments in the LA area to limit development in neighborhoods impacted by January’s wildfires by suspending provisions in Senate Bill 9, a 2021 law that allows up to four units on properties that previously were zoned for singlefamily residences. “We will continue to assist communities in rebuilding safely in ways that are responsive to local concerns,” Newsom said in a statement. “This executive order responds directly to requests from local officials and community feedback, recognizing the need for local discretion in recovery and that not all laws are designed for rebuilding entire communities destroyed by fires overnight.” The exemption applies to high-severity burn areas, including the entirety of Pacific Palisades within the city of LA, Malibu, unincorporated Sunset Mesa and the eastern foothills of Altadena, according to the governor’s office. The order’s duration coincides with the state of Newsom’s state of emergency declaration for the Los Angeles region. The executive order also paused SB 9 developments for seven days in the affected areas to give local governments time to develop their own standards. The move drew positive responses from city and county officials. “I appreciate Governor Newsom’s executive order today, which restores local control over important land use matters, like SB 9, in high fire severity zones,” District 3 LA County Supervisor and Board Chair Kathryn Barger, who represents Altadena and areas in the path of the Eaton Fire, said in a statement. “SB 9, like other state housing legislation, was intended to support thoughtful, phased-in development — not immediate implementation in the wake of a major disaster,” Barger said. “Empowering local jurisdictions to make reasonable decisions about development patterns in wildfire-prone areas is a smart and necessary step.” Barger added that before “lot splitting or additional housing is considered in these high-risk zones, we must ensure proper infrastructure and fire safety measures are in place.” She also said a “top priority remains protecting Altadena’s unique community character and preventing the displacement of my constituents.” Despite the concerns about density and public safety, Barger called for “balanced housing solutions — ones that responsibly expand access to housing while protecting public safety and preserving the integrity of our neighborhoods.” She noted “the value of allowing property owners outside of high fire severity zones to build additional units — whether to generate supplemental income, support recovery efforts or preserve multi-generational living arrangements that have long existed in our communities. This kind of flexibility is essential for helping residents stay rooted while also contributing to
See Rebuilding zones Page 28