Top General Asks Trump Admin to Move 200 Troops From ICE Protests to Fires
Source: Newsweek
Published Jun 30, 2025 at 5:04 PM EDT | Updated Jun 30, 2025 at 5:17 PM EDT
A top U.S. military commander overseeing federal troops deployed to Los Angeles has requested that 200 National Guard members be reassigned to wildfire duty as California enters peak fire season, two U.S. officials confirmed Monday to the Associated Press (AP).
Why It Matters
President Donald Trump has prioritized immigration control as a key pillar during his second administration. The president campaigned in 2024 on the promise of mass deportations and appointed Tom Homan as his administration's border czar to execute his agenda.
Protests broke out in Los Angeles earlier this month in reaction to numerous Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids in the area. Trump sent National Guard troops and U.S. Marines to the City of Angels, deeming they were necessary to help control the unrest, against California Governor Gavin Newsom's wishes.
What To Know
General Gregory Guillot, head of U.S. Northern Command, submitted the request to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth amid concerns of the state's firefighting capacity during fire season and on the heels of deadly blazes in January. Trump ordered deployment of roughly 4,000 California National Guard troops and 800 active-duty Marines to Los Angeles in early June. Newsom last week warned of the National Guard fire crews operating at just 40 percent, saying, "as part of President Trump's illegal – and highly inefficient – federalization of the Guard." The Democratic governor added that eight of 14 teams have been diverted to Los Angeles and away from the fire unit known as Task Force Rattlesnake.
Read more: https://www.newsweek.com/trump-admin-troops-requested-back-wildfire-duty-2092777
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