What you need to know: Governor Gavin Newsom calls on the President to send every soldier home now – this dangerous militarization must end.
July 21, 2025 - Los Angeles, California – As pressure continues mounting for the President to end the unlawful deployment of soldiers in Los Angeles, with the remaining Marines in the area withdrawing, 2,000 federalized National Guard members still remain – away from their families, communities and civilian jobs as doctors, police, and teachers.
The women and men of the California National Guard deserve more than to continue serving as puppets in Trump and Stephen Miller’s performative political theater. There was never a need for the military to deploy against civilians in Los Angeles. The damage is done, however. We, again, call upon them to do the right thing and end the militarization once and for all.
Governor Gavin Newsom
End the militarization now
For over a month, about 4,000 National Guard members have been serving as political pawns for the President in Los Angeles, pulled away from their families, communities, and civilian jobs. While half are now demobilizing and the deployed Marines are being sent home, many remain without a clear mission, direction, or a timeline for returning to their communities. California urges Trump and the Department of Defense to end this theatrical deployment and send all remaining guardsmembers home immediately.
Community leaders, public officials, veterans and others agree – the federal government’s actions in California not only have a chilling effect on the state’s society and economy, but also continue to undermine the valuable contributions from members of the military while in and out of uniform.
Republican and Democratic former governors agree—Trump’s federalization violates the critical balance between state and federal government. Recently, a bipartisan group of 25 former governors filed a brief in support of Newsom v. Trump, urging the court to enforce state sovereignty and block the unprecedented federalization of the National Guard.
Police off the streets, teachers out of classrooms
Of the over 4,000 California National Guard members sent to Los Angeles under Trump’s order, the California National Guard estimates that their servicemembers have been pulled from essential civilian duties such as medical and first responders, service workers, building trades contractors, law enforcement personnel, corrections officers, civil service and government workers, technology specialists, educators and teachers, and agriculture workers.
Drugs arriving at the border, fewer soldiers to stop them
Typically, under the Governor’s command, nearly 450 servicemembers are deployed statewide, including at ports of entry, to combat transnational criminal organizations and seize illegal narcotics. CalGuard’s servicemembers dedicated to the state’s Counterdrug Task Force have been reassigned by President Trump to militarize Los Angeles. The consequences are dire – CalGuard’s efforts help ensure the public safety of communities statewide.
High-ranking U.S. military officials agree
Retired four-star admirals and generals and former secretaries of the Army and Navy filed another amicus brief outlining the grave risks of Trump’s illegal takeover of the CalGuard. Several veterans and veteran rights’ groups came together to decry Trump’s militarization of California.
Economic impact of cruel immigration policy
Governor Newsom recently met with local restaurant owners in the City of Bell and faith leaders in Downey to discuss the economic impact these indiscriminate immigration actions have had on their small business.
Trump’s actions have a ripple effect – the state’s economy is likely to contract later this year due to fallout from global tariffs and immigration raids in Los Angeles and other cities that have rattled key sectors, including construction, hospitality, and agriculture, according to a UCLA Anderson forecast. Mass arrests, detentions and deportations in California could slash $275 billion from the state’s economy and eliminate $23 billion in annual tax revenue. The loss of immigrant workers, undocumented and those losing lawful status under the Trump administration, would delay projects (including rebuilding Los Angeles after the wildfires), reduce food supply, and drive up costs. Undocumented immigrants contributed $8.5 billion in state and local taxes in 2022 — a number that would rise to $10.3 billion if these taxpayers could apply to work lawfully.
Source: Office of the Governor
