The Trump administration will recall 2,000 National Guard soldiers deployed last month to Los Angeles, saying the city is calm enough that the president can start withdrawing the federalized troops.
The recall still leaves 2,000 other guard troops and 700 Marines in the area, where they have been assigned to protect immigration officers and agents as they try to arrest illegal immigrants.
Defense Department officials said the recall is a measure of success.
“Thanks to our troops who stepped up to answer the call, the lawlessness in Los Angeles is subsiding,” Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said.
Violent anti-ICE demonstrations have cooled down in the city in recent weeks, though Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass saw the withdrawal as a “retreat” for President Trump.
“This happened because the people of Los Angeles stood united and stood strong. We organized peaceful protests, we came together at rallies, we took the Trump administration