California Governor Gavin Newsom has condemned the Trump administration's deployment of National Guard troops to Los Angeles, stating it cost taxpayers nearly $120 million. The deployment, ordered by President Donald Trump in June amid protests over immigration raids, has been described by Newsom as 'waste, fraud and abuse'.
According to the governor's office, the costs included $71 million for food and necessities, $37 million in pay, and $3.5 million in travel expenses. Over 4,200 National Guard soldiers and 700 Marines were deployed, though relatively few assisted with immigration enforcement operations.
Newsom, who opposed the deployment from the start, filed a lawsuit in June calling it an 'unmistakable step toward authoritarianism'. This week, a federal judge ruled that the deployment violated the Posse Comitatus Act, which restricts the use of the military for law enforcement.
The governor's office submitted a public records request to determine the costs, but the federal government did not respond. The state's National Guard provided the calculations. Newsom highlighted the negative impact on soldiers, including rushed deployment and poor living conditions.
Trump has since sent National Guard troops to Washington DC and threatened further deployments in Chicago, New York, and other cities.
