According to a U.S. official who spoke to The Times, the military commander of the National Guard units sent to quell immigration-related disturbances in the Los Angeles region has requested that the Trump administration send 200 more troops back to California’s command.
The Associated Press was the first to report the request. According to Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office, the National Guard unit tasked with fighting wildfires is only 40% staffed during the resumption of fire season. Since protests started on June 6 in reaction to a series of unexpected immigration raids, the degree of disturbance surrounding the protests has also declined.
Environment & Climate
According to Governor Gavin Newsom, eight of CalGuard’s fourteen firefighting units, referred to as Task Force Rattlesnake, have been sent to Los Angeles as part of Trump’s federalization of the Guard.
According to the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because no decision has been made public, the adjutant general of the California National Guard will decide where the 200 troops will be redeployed, even though Gen. Gregory Guillot, the head of the Guard’s U.S. Northern Command, started the discussion with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to return them. A request for information on where the troops would be moved if the request was granted was not immediately answered by the California Military Department.
Newsom, who has referred to President Trump’s federalization of over 4,000 troops as unlawful and is still fighting their deployment in court, is among the most vocal in calling for the return of the National Guard to California command.
In an announcement released on Monday, Newsom said, “We are happy to see the top military commander in charge of Trump’s unlawful militarization of Los Angeles agree: it’s time to pull back National Guard troops and get them back to their critical firefighting duties.” Stop the political play and pay attention to your military leaders, President Trump.
The risks of maintaining National Guard troops in Los Angeles when the Guard’s firefighting units, known as Task Force Rattlesnake, are severely understaffed were brought to light by the governor last week. He said on Monday that firefighting efforts have already been impacted by the federalization of the Guard, and that the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection must fill the void.
California
Several fires started this weekend in Riverside and San Bernardino counties despite the weather not being conducive to wildfire.
Under the leadership of Cal Fire, 300 members of the National Guard make up Task Force Rattlesnake, which fights and prevents fires. The governor’s office reports that eight of the task force’s fourteen firefighting teams have been sent to Los Angeles for protest duty.
Cal Fire reports that by 3:30 p.m. Monday, several wildfires were burning around Southern California, including the Juniper and Wolf fires in Riverside County, which had burned over 680 acres and 2,400 acres, respectively.
The region’s below-normal rainy season is expected to create the conditions for a very severe fire season this summer and fall, experts have warned.
