Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth orders 2,000 National Guard troops to be removed from L.A.

(NBC, KYMA/KECY) - Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has ordered the removal of 2,000 National Guard troops from Los Angeles.

The troops were deployed to the streets of L.A. last month in response to protests over immigration raids.

According to a Pentagon official, 2,000 members of the 79th Infantry Brigade Combat Team are being released from the federal protection mission in Los Angeles.

They represent nearly half of the 4,200 guardsmen deployed by the Trump Administration, despite opposition from California Governor Gavin Newsom.

For now, half of the troops will remain in the area, along with the roughly 700 Marines that were also deployed by Secretary Hegseth.

The deployment marked the first time a president had federalized National Guard troops without a governor's permission since 1965.