The Pentagon is withdrawing 700 active-duty Marines from duty in Los Angeles, the latest pullback from President Donald Trump’s controversial deployments to the city in response to immigration-related protests.
In a statement to The New York Times on Monday, Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said the Marines were expected to complete their withdrawal as soon as Tuesday.
“With stability returning to Los Angeles, the secretary [Pete Hegseth] has directed the redeployment of the 700 Marines whose presence sent a clear message: Lawlessness will not be tolerated,” Parnell said. “Their rapid response, unwavering discipline, and unmistakable presence were instrumental in restoring order and upholding the rule of law. We’re deeply grateful for their service, and for the strength and professionalism they brought to this mission.”
The Department of Defense did not respond to NOTUS’ request for comment.
The news reached Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass just as she was speaking on the topic with local officials Monday.
“We just had a press conference calling for a removal of all of the troops and we just got word that the Marines will be able to go back to their families and will be leaving Los Angeles,” Bass said in a video posted to X on Monday afternoon. “I’d like to say that they heard from the people of Los Angeles, that this was an unnecessary deployment.”
The Marines are withdrawing.
— Mayor Karen Bass (@MayorOfLA) July 21, 2025
This is another win for Los Angeles. pic.twitter.com/g38dhFjXPY
She called the withdrawal a “sign of progress.”
The Marines, sent in response to protests over the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement policies, are scheduled to withdraw after almost two months of standing guard outside federal office buildings and accompanying agents performing immigration raids.
The Pentagon previously withdrew nearly 2,000 National Guard soldiers, and a select group who petitioned to return to firefighting duty — more than half of the total ordered to Los Angeles without local authorities’ consent.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom sued the Trump administration last month over what he called “unlawful deployments.”
California officials have argued that it violates federal law to deploy active-duty U.S. military units to perform the tasks of domestic law enforcement. But an appeals court ultimately sided with the Trump administration, citing his authority to mobilize troops as “legitimate.”