Trump has stated that the Middle East is a “dangerous place” and plans to withdraw US troops from it amid domestic turmoil.
Los Angeles: According to reports, US President Donald Trump has dispatched more American troops to Los Angeles (LA) in California than Washington has sent to Iraq and Syria in an effort to quell protests over his strict immigration policies. Over 700 active duty Marines and about 4,000 National Guard members have been sent to Los Angeles by the Republican leader to quell protests sparked by an abrupt increase in operations to detain illegally-immigrated migrants.
“There are 4,800 activated Guard and Marine personnel in LA, compared to the 2,500 troops in Iraq and 1,500 in Syria,” CNN reported.
The Pentagon estimates that the deployment in Los Angeles will cost taxpayers $134 million over the course of 60 days.
LA Protests
After US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) started detaining undocumented migrants in large numbers, the disturbance in Los Angeles started on June 6. At least 44 persons were reportedly detained by the authorities on suspicion of immigration offenses by the evening of June 7.
Residents responded by taking to the streets, where demonstrations eventually turned into violence. Without first consulting California Governor Gavin Newsom, who later sued the Trump administration for the decision, President Trump authorized the deployment of troops to the city, which is home to about 3.9 million people, in reaction to the turmoil. Democratic Governor Newsom has accused Trump of trying to intensify the conflict for political purposes.
In a late Tuesday broadcast speech, he declared, “Democracy is being attacked right in front of our eyes.” “California may be first, but it clearly won’t end here.”
Trump’s Immigration Crackdown
Trump’s pledges to stop what he describes as a “invasion” of undocumented migrants helped him win the election last year. He is now taking advantage of the chance to gain political capital by directing the deployment of the California National Guard in spite of Governor Gavin Newsom’s protests. This is the first time a US president has done so in decades.
On Wednesday, protests against Trump’s immigration raids expanded around the United States, despite a military-backed crackdown in Los Angeles and the hard-right Republican president’s vows to deploy “heavy force.”
The US is withdrawing its troops from the Middle East.
Trump is preparing to withdraw US forces from the Middle East, which he has called a “dangerous place,” amid domestic turmoil. According to the U.S. leader, personnel are being evacuated from the Middle East because “it could be a dangerous place,” and the U.S. will not permit Iran to possess nuclear weapons.
