Military leaders want National Guard pulled from LA protests for wildfire duty

The top military commander overseeing National Guard forces in Los Angeles has asked the Trump administration to return 200 troops to California’s wildfire unit, Joint Task Force Rattlesnake. Gen. Gregory Guillot, head of U.S. Northern Command, submitted the request to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, according to multiple U.S. officials who spoke anonymously.

About 4,000 California National Guard members and roughly 700 active-duty Marines were deployed in early June to respond to protests over federal immigration raids. The protests have since decreased in intensity, prompting military leaders to evaluate redeployment options ahead of peak fire season.

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What impact has the deployment had on wildfire response?

California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office says the deployment has left National Guard fire crews operating at 40% of their standard capacity. Eight of the 14 teams in Task Force Rattlesnake have been reassigned to support the protest response in Los Angeles, which Newsom argues undermines the state’s ability to respond to wildfires.

Multiple fires are already burning across Southern California, including the Wolf and Juniper fires in Riverside County, which have scorched more than 3,000 acres combined. In the north, red flag warnings remain in effect due to high temperatures and dry lightning threats.

What has Newsom said about the federal deployment?

Newsom has repeatedly challenged the legality of President Donald Trump’s decision to federalize California’s National Guard under Title 10 authority. Newsom sued and accused Trump of using the Guard for political theater. Although a district court initially sided with California, the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals allowed the federal deployment to continue while litigation proceeds.

“We’re glad to see the top military commander overseeing Trump’s illegal militarization of Los Angeles agree: it’s time to pull back National Guard troops and get them back to their critical firefighting duties,” Newsom said in a June 30 statement.

What legal authority supports the deployment?

The Trump administration cited Title 10, which permits the president to federalize the Guard in cases of rebellion or if domestic threats impede federal law enforcement. The administration argued immigration agents faced credible threats during arrests in Los Angeles. 

Under Title 10, the president can federalize National Guard troops without a governor’s consent. While orders are routed through governors, their approval is not legally required. Despite the controversy, the president has not invoked the Insurrection Act, and federal courts are still reviewing the deployment’s legality.