2,000 more National Guard troops on duty in L.A. as legal battle over deployment continues
The United States government will activate an extra 2,000 National Guard troops in Los Angeles, the military confirmed in a statement Tuesday night, as a legal battle continues over the deployment.
Protests against federal immigration policies that exploded in Los Angeles and across the country in recent weeks have since died down, and a nighttime curfew has been lifted as businesses return to normality.
Nevertheless, the U.S. Northern Command said the reinforcements were needed to "support the protection of federal functions, personnel, and property in the greater Los Angeles area."
The 2,000 troops are deployed at the direction of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, using Title 10, which allows the president to call in the National Guard when the country is at risk of invasion or rebellion.
That means at least 4,100 National Guard troops and 700 Marines have been deployed to the streets of L.A. after 2,100 were sent there on June 9. Tuesday's statement confirms a statement from last Monday on the troop increase.
The soldiers cannot participate in civilian policing, leading city leaders to attack the deployments as political theater.
"The soldiers are completing training on de-escalation, crowd control, and use of the standing rules for the use of force in advance of joining the federal protection mission," the military statement said.
Gov. Gavin Newsom condemned the move and said the troops would be "twiddling their thumbs."
"This isn't a new deployment — it's the same group of soldiers who have been diverted from critical wildfire work and work at the border, now twiddling their thumbs for Donald Trump's political theater," Diana Crofts-Pelayo, a spokesperson from Newsom's office, said.
Newsom said last week that the deployment of an extra 2,000 personnel would be "reckless, pointless and disrespectful to our troops."
L.A. Mayor Karen Bass has called the deployment a "chaotic escalation."
The confirmation of the extra personnel came hours after the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals heard arguments on whether the federal government can deploy troops to American cities, or should turn over their command to Californian officials.
The court heard an appeal and ruled last week that President Donald Trump can retain command of the troops, pausing a ruling from District Court Judge Charles Breyer that said the deployment was unlawful.
Tuesday's hearing considered whether the most recent order can stand as the case proceeds through the courts. The three-judge panel seemed unlikely to be interested in lifting the pause that was imposed by the Appeals Court.
That court is expected to make a decision in the coming days, ahead of a Friday hearing before Judge Charles Breyer in San Francisco federal court.
The Appeals Court's decision — and any potential Supreme Court involvement — could have huge ramifications for the political executive's powers and activities in Washington and whether troops can be sent to other cities.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
South Wales Guardian
10 minutes ago
- South Wales Guardian
Israel-Iran war stretches into a second week without diplomatic breakthrough
European ministers and Iran's top diplomat met for four hours on Friday in Geneva, as President Donald Trump continued to weigh US military involvement and worries rose over potential strikes on nuclear reactors. European officials expressed hope for future negotiations, and Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi said he was open to further dialogue while emphasising that Tehran had no interest in negotiating with the US while Israel continued attacking. 'Iran is ready to consider diplomacy if aggression ceases and the aggressor is held accountable for its committed crimes,' he told reporters. No date was set for the next round of talks. Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel's military operation in Iran would continue 'for as long as it takes' to eliminate what he called the existential threat of Iran's nuclear programme and arsenal of ballistic missiles. Israel's top general echoed the warning, saying the Israeli military was ready 'for a prolonged campaign'. But Mr Netanyahu's goal could be out of reach without US help. Iran's underground Fordo uranium enrichment facility is considered to be out of reach to all but America's 'bunker-buster' bombs. Mr Trump said he would put off deciding whether to join Israel's air campaign against Iran for up to two weeks. The war between Israel and Iran erupted on June 13, with Israeli airstrikes targeting nuclear and military sites, top generals and nuclear scientists. At least 657 people, including 263 civilians, have been killed in Iran and more than 2,000 wounded, according to a Washington-based Iranian human rights group. Iran has retaliated by firing 450 missiles and 1,000 drones at Israel, according to Israeli army estimates. Most have been shot down by Israel's multi-tiered air defences, but at least 24 people in Israel have been killed and hundreds wounded. Israel's defence minister said on Saturday it killed a commander in Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard who financed and armed Hamas in preparation for the October 7 2023 attack on Israel that sparked the 20-month long war in Gaza. Israel said Saeed Izadi was commander of the Palestine Corps for the Iranian Quds Force, an elite arm of the Guard that conducts military and intelligence operations outside Iran, and that he was killed in an apartment in the city of Qom.
South Wales Argus
23 minutes ago
- South Wales Argus
Israel-Iran war stretches into a second week without diplomatic breakthrough
European ministers and Iran's top diplomat met for four hours on Friday in Geneva, as President Donald Trump continued to weigh US military involvement and worries rose over potential strikes on nuclear reactors. European officials expressed hope for future negotiations, and Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi said he was open to further dialogue while emphasising that Tehran had no interest in negotiating with the US while Israel continued attacking. 'Iran is ready to consider diplomacy if aggression ceases and the aggressor is held accountable for its committed crimes,' he told reporters. Benjamin Netanyahu visits the site of the Weizmann Institute of Science, which was hit by missiles fired from Iran (Jack Guez/Pool Photo via AP) No date was set for the next round of talks. Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel's military operation in Iran would continue 'for as long as it takes' to eliminate what he called the existential threat of Iran's nuclear programme and arsenal of ballistic missiles. Israel's top general echoed the warning, saying the Israeli military was ready 'for a prolonged campaign'. But Mr Netanyahu's goal could be out of reach without US help. Iran's underground Fordo uranium enrichment facility is considered to be out of reach to all but America's 'bunker-buster' bombs. Mr Trump said he would put off deciding whether to join Israel's air campaign against Iran for up to two weeks. The war between Israel and Iran erupted on June 13, with Israeli airstrikes targeting nuclear and military sites, top generals and nuclear scientists. At least 657 people, including 263 civilians, have been killed in Iran and more than 2,000 wounded, according to a Washington-based Iranian human rights group. Iran has retaliated by firing 450 missiles and 1,000 drones at Israel, according to Israeli army estimates. Most have been shot down by Israel's multi-tiered air defences, but at least 24 people in Israel have been killed and hundreds wounded. Israel's defence minister said on Saturday it killed a commander in Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard who financed and armed Hamas in preparation for the October 7 2023 attack on Israel that sparked the 20-month long war in Gaza. Israel said Saeed Izadi was commander of the Palestine Corps for the Iranian Quds Force, an elite arm of the Guard that conducts military and intelligence operations outside Iran, and that he was killed in an apartment in the city of Qom.
NBC News
27 minutes ago
- NBC News
How a high heel entrepreneur is handling tariffs before the other shoe drops
Checkbook Chronicles Haley Pavone testified to Congress that tariffs are crushing small-business owners' American dream. June 21, 2025, 5:07 AM EDT By Kayla Steinberg Haley Pavone thought this was going to be the biggest and best year yet for her footwear company. Based in Southern California, she had big dreams for Pashion Footwear, the online business she started as a 20-year-old college junior that sells high heels that convert into flats. Instead, she found herself imploring lawmakers for help as tariffs threaten to cripple her company. 'We went from duty-free status to paying actually 190% on average overnight,' Pavone told NBC News. In the months since President Donald Trump took office, the trade war has swung wildly back and forth. Tariff rates have, at times, changed suddenly and dramatically as U.S. officials seek deals with other countries. It has ensnared business owners like Pavone in a battle they didn't choose, as they struggle to plan for a future they can't clearly see. 'It has been chaos to say the least,' she said. 'It feels like small businesses are either being intentionally attacked or being completely forgotten. And I don't know which one is worse.' Business breakdown Pashion Footwear was born out of Pavone's own struggles with high heels. She loved wearing them but hated the inevitable pain that came with being hours on her feet. So in 2016, she founded Pashion. 'It's the biggest love-hate relationship in women's closets,' she said. 'And we're trying to change that.' Pavone's company has grown to employ 12 and has patents in the United States, China and the European Union. for its sole-support technology. And last year, Pashion made $9 million in gross revenue, up 88% from 2023. Pavone attributes much of that success to social media. She and the company have more than 2 million followers combined across TikTok and Instagram, with posts showing an array of heels transforming into flats with a quick twist and press. Tariff troubles For Pavone's small business, it has never been easy: between Trump's first trade war with China and then the pandemic — plus the ensuing supply chain crisis and recession. Pavone said this year she had expected her business to grow 150%, planned to hire several employees and was looking into wholesale. But then Trump eliminated the 'de minimis' exemption, which allowed items from China valued at $800 or less to come into the U.S. duty-free. The change took effect May 2. 'We went from making about 19-20% per shoe after all of our operating expenses to actually losing about $40 per shoe,' Pavone said. The Walnut Knit Booties that used to make the company $43.70 per pair, she said, turned into a $41.16 loss. After the U.S. and China agreed to a 90-day tariff pause, Pashion was left with tariffs of 36% to 75% on each product. The company has paid more than $50,000 in tariffs to U.S. Customs and Border Protection since the May 2 change. The company's shoes are manufactured in China, and Pavone said they can't be made elsewhere — though it's not for lack of trying. 'I've tried talking to manufacturers in Vietnam, Brazil, India and even one very small factory I was able to find in the U.S.,' she said. 'All of them have unanimously said that China is the only supply chain currently that can do what we need at scale.' And Pashion was hit hard by another rule change. Earlier this year, it qualified for and signed a $5 million loan from the Small Business Administration. Pavone planned to use that money to buy Pashion out of predatory debt it took on to survive the pandemic, invest in hiring and buy more inventory. But the Trump administration changed the qualifications to receive the funding, now requiring all shareholders to be U.S. citizens — and Pavone said her company raised 1.7% of its funding from international investors. The loan was pulled. 'We feel completely ignored, and we also feel completely out of control,' she said. 'It basically feels like we're just waiting for the other shoe to drop every second of the day.' Taking action The changes and uncertainty have dashed Pavone's big dreams for the year. She said she slashed inventory orders from $1 million for the fall and $1.5 million for the holidays to around $300,000 each, wanting to keep her budget open to assume tariff liability. 'This went from being a growth year to a year where we're really just trying to make ends meet and stay afloat,' she said. To handle the increased costs, the company added a tariff tax averaging $15 to $25 per product when U.S. customers check out. Demand from U.S. consumers has since dropped around 30%, Pavone said. 'There's plenty of customers where even though they understand what we're doing, they're now priced out of what they can pay, so they can't buy,' she said. She shared her frustrations on TikTok, breaking down for her followers exactly how tariffs are affecting the business. And at a hearing in May, Pavone explained to lawmakers just how painful the changes have been. 'Every day that these trade policies continue, it means the death of more American dreams,' she told lawmakers. 'This is not a short-term pain. This is the destruction of livelihoods, both for entrepreneurs and those they employ.' Pavone hopes her testimony could help lawmakers push for relief. 'No matter what happens, I at least know that I've fought as hard as anyone possibly could,' she said. Kayla Steinberg Kayla Steinberg is a producer at NBC News covering business and the economy.
