Pentagon Says LA Troop Deployment Will Cost $134 Million Amid Protests
The Pentagon has estimated that deploying Marines and National Guard troops to Los Angeles amid ongoing immigration enforcement protests will cost approximately $134 million. Acting Pentagon Comptroller Bryn Woollacott MacDonnell revealed the figure during a House subcommittee hearing on Tuesday.
The costs primarily cover housing, travel, and food for the deployed troops, which currently include 4,000 members of the California National Guard and about 700 Marines. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth defended the deployment, stating that it is necessary to maintain order during the protests that erupted following an immigration raid on June 6 in Los Angeles’ garment district.
“We stated very publicly that it’s 60 days because we want to ensure that those rioters, looters, and thugs on the other side assaulting our police officers know that we’re not going anywhere,” Hegseth told members of the House Appropriations Defense Subcommittee.
Legal Challenges from California Officials
California’s top legal officials have filed an emergency court motion challenging the federal government’s authority to use troops for local law enforcement. They argue that the military deployment violates federal law, threatens state sovereignty, and escalates civil tensions. The motion follows a lawsuit filed on Monday seeking to halt the deployment.
However, a federal judge rejected California’s immediate request to stop the deployment, granting the Trump administration until Wednesday afternoon to respond to the emergency motion.
Impact on California’s Economy
The deployment comes at a time when California’s economy is already feeling the effects of immigration raids and increased tariffs. The state is heavily reliant on trade and immigrant labor, with industries such as construction, hospitality, healthcare, and agriculture particularly vulnerable.
According to economists, the crackdown on undocumented immigrants could have significant repercussions. “The reality is that the U.S. economy is largely today dependent upon foreign-born labor, and in California more so,” said Nicholas Eberstadt, a political economist at the American Enterprise Institute. “In California, it’s more like 1 in 3 jobs are filled by someone who was born abroad.”
As tensions continue to rise, many are concerned about the long-term economic and social impacts of the federal government’s actions in California.
