Military deployment to LA will cost taxpayers $134 million
The current cost estimate for the deployment is $134 million, which is largely just the cost of travel, housing and food,” said Bryn Woollacott MacDonnell, special assistant to the secretary of defense who’s currently performing the duties of the Pentagon’s top financial officer.
LOS ANGELES – Roughly 4,000 National Guard troops were deployed to Los Angeles as anti-ICE protests intensified.
The troops were deployed by President Donald Trump, without the authorization of Gov. Gavin Newsom. The deployment has caused an uproar among city, county, and state leaders, who say the federal government is overreaching their power.
Why was the National Guard deployed?
The backstory:
Over the weekend, Trump authorized the deployment of 2,000 California National Guard troops in Los Angeles, as anti-ICE protests broke out in downtown LA and some surrounding areas. The protests eventually turned violent, with people setting Waymo cars on fire, vandalizing buildings, throwing fireworks, and more. In response to the violence, on Monday, Trump ordered an additional 2,000 Guard troops along with 700 U.S. Marines to assist.
Pentagon officials said Tuesday the deployment is expected to cost about $134 million.
What role do Guard troops play?
National Guard troops are typically deployed to areas to help during emergencies and natural disasters like floods and wildfires. They can be requested by the governor of a state or the President of the United States.
In LA, the National Guard was equipped to protect federal buildings and personnel.
Guard troops arrived downtown at 4 a.m. Sunday.
Why is Newsom upset over the deployment?
Newsom said Trump’s order to send the National Guard was a “complete overreaction” that was “purposely inflammatory and will only escalate tensions.” The governor now plans to sue the Trump administration over the deployment.
“There really is a separation of power issue, the federal government is stepping in, Newsom is arguing, where the states should have control,” legal analyst Mary David told FOX 11.
The state of California filed an emergency motion against the administration asking the court to take immediate action to block Trump and the U.S. Department of Defense from expanding the current mission of National Guard personnel and Marines in LA.
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Newsom fires back at Trump
In an exclusive interview with FOX 11’s Elex Michaelson, California Gov. Gavin Newsom fired back at President Donald Trump.
“The federal government is now turning the military against American citizens,” Newsom said in a statement. “Sending trained warfighters onto the streets is unprecedented and threatens the very core of our democracy. Donald Trump is behaving like a tyrant, not a President. We ask the court to immediately block these unlawful actions.”
He, along with LA Mayor Karen Bass, said the move would further exacerbate tensions and lead to more intense protests.
Bass said that despite claims by Trump, National Guard troops have played no role in stopping the violence in the streets.
“We didn’t need the National Guard, what on earth are they going to do? Do you know what the National Guard is doing now? They are guarding two buildings, the federal building here in downtown and they are guarding the federal building in Westwood. That’s what they are doing. So they need Marines on top of that?,” Bass said during a press conference Monday evening.
Mayor Bass says city of LA was a “test case” for federal government
LA Mayor Karen Bass said she believes the city is being used as “test case” and an “experiment” for the federal government. During a press conference Monday evening, she reiterated her point that the National Guard was not needed and the initial raids on Friday weren’t warranted.
Newsom said troops were deployed without any federal funding for food, housing or water. The governor shared a photo on X of some troops sleeping on a floor presumably inside the federal complex downtown. He said only about 300 National Guard troops had actually been deployed, despite Trump’s initial call for 2,000 troops.
The other side:
From the Oval Office, President Trump said he wanted to act quickly by sending in the National Guard and had to federalize the troops to “address the lawlessness.”
“If we didn’t send in the National Guard quickly, right now Los Angeles would be burning to the ground,” Trump said.
RELATED: Trump defends decision to ‘SEND IN THE TROOPS’ amid LA protests
When was the last time National Guard troops were deployed to LA?
The National Guard was recently in Los Angeles during the deadly January 2025 wildfires. Newsom ordered 2,500 service members to respond to LA to help with the firefighting efforts, along with ensuring public safety in the community.
In 2020, Newsom deployed approximately 8,000 National Guard troops to quell protests over racial injustice following the death of George Floyd. Well over half the troops deployed in California were sent to Los Angeles County, where police arrested more than 3,000 people.
The Source: Information for this story came from statements made by Gavin Newsom, Donald Trump, and Karen Bass. City News Service and the Associated Press contributed.
