LA mayor says withdrawal of National Guard ‘an important victory’

The Manila Times

LA mayor says withdrawal of National Guard ‘an important victory’  Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass on Tuesday, July 15, called the partial withdrawal of federal troops from the city “an important victory,” following their controversial deployment to quell unrest after immigration raids.  U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth ordered 2,000 of the 4,000 National Guard troops to leave, citing the mission’s success. But Bass argued the presence was never needed and said Los Angeles had been used as a political “test case.”  Bass also condemned the aggressive nature of the raids and called for a full withdrawal of remaining troops and Marines. About 2,000 Guard members and 700 Marines remain under federal control.  President Donald Trump deployed the California National Guard troops to Los Angeles in June, against the wishes of Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom, to quell protests triggered by immigration raids on workplaces by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents. He also sent about 700 Marines.  ABC AFFILIATE KABC / REUTERS  Subscribe to The Manila Times Channel - https://tmt.ph/YTSubscribe  Visit our website at https://www.manilatimes.net    Follow us:  Facebook - https://tmt.ph/facebook  Instagram - https://tmt.ph/instagram  Twitter - https://tmt.ph/twitter  DailyMotion - https://tmt.ph/dailymotion    Subscribe to our Digital Edition - https://tmt.ph/digital  Sign up to our newsletters: https://tmt.ph/newsletters   Check out our Podcasts:  Spotify - https://tmt.ph/spotify  Apple Podcasts - https://tmt.ph/applepodcasts  Amazon Music - https://tmt.ph/amazonmusic  Deezer: https://tmt.ph/deezer  Tune In: https://tmt.ph/tunein   #TheManilaTimes #WorldNews #Trump #LA

Transcript

00:00I am here to say that we've had an important victory.

00:04I think because Los Angeles stood strong, because we understood what it meant that the

00:12federal government came in and seized power away from our governor regarding the deployment

00:19of the National Guard and inappropriately sent the National Guard here when they were

00:24not needed, the administration has finally understood that they need to withdraw the

00:30troops.

00:312,000 troops are being withdrawn.

00:34We don't exactly know where they're going.

00:36I certainly hope that these young people will not be used as props in some other city.

00:42I have said from the beginning that what is happening in Los Angeles is we are being used

00:47as a test case, and I am hoping that this experiment with the lives of people ends here.

00:54This has been a blow to the economy of the nation's second largest city.

00:59We are an immigrant city, a city where there are sectors of our economy that are dependent

01:04on immigrant labor.

01:06We have rebuilding that needs to be done, whether we are talking about the wildfires or whether

01:11we are talking about preparations for the major events coming up.

01:16And the idea that troops would be used, the economy would be hit.

01:22Who do you think does the building in this city?

01:25We know that the construction industry has a significant percentage of immigrant labor.

01:31Some people have said 40 percent.

01:33I believe that's a gross underestimation.

01:35Well, you know what, there is ... I am hoping that this is the beginning of a complete withdrawal

01:43of all National Guard troops and of all Marines.

01:47Our soldiers are trained to fight to kill foreign enemies in foreign lands.

01:53There was never a need for them here before, and there isn't a need for them now.

01:59And frankly, Pete, if they didn't go about the raids in the manner in which they did, originally,

02:05this was targeted arrests for the worst of the worst.

02:09We never saw that materialize.

02:11What we saw was masked men, unmarked cars, drawing guns, snatching people off the street.

02:19Now we are a city of 500 square miles.

02:22We had problems in about two square miles.

02:25It lasted for a couple of days.

02:27I initiated a curfew.

02:29We have had no problems for weeks.

02:33So why were they here?

02:34It is a misuse of the men and women who serve our country.

02:40And I frankly think that the retreat that is happening today of the Guard being hopefully

02:46sent home will be an indication that the administration knows they are on extremely weak ground and

02:53leaving with dignity rather than the court ordering them to leave.

02:59So, remember that we have a lot of friends here and I continued to build a lot of friends.

03:08See you in the next couple of weeks.

03:09See you in the next couple of weeks.

03:11See you in the next couple of months.

03:12Bye.

03:14Bye.

03:15Bye.

03:16Bye.

03:17Bye.

03:18Bye.

03:20Bye.

03:21Bye.

03:22Bye.

03:24Bye.

03:25Bye.

03:29You

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