Gov. Newsom Files FOIA Request To ‘Expose True Cost’ Of L.A. Federal Troop Deployment for Anti-ICE Riots

“It’s been 60 days since the federal government deployed the military against its own citizens, over the objection of state and local officials,” said Newsom in a statement on Wednesday. “Americans deserve to know how much taxpayer money the President spent to orchestrate this political theater. Through the federal Freedom of Information Act, the Governor’s Office is requesting all documents and records to identify the total expenses incurred to activate the U.S. Marines and federalize the National Guard since June 7.”

“When Donald Trump needlessly deployed armed soldiers against Americans in Los Angeles, it wasn’t just a disgrace — it was a massive waste of taxpayer dollars,” added Newsom in a post on X. “My office is filing a Freedom of Information Act request to uncover the true cost of Trump’s political theater.”

The actual FOIA request was also released, with Newsom addressing Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. In it, he made the following request:

“Accordingly, I request all documents and records, including but not limited to memoranda, spreadsheets, and other budget tracking tools:
• sufficient to identify the total expenses incurred in connection with deploying California National Guard troops and United States Marines under the command of the U.S. Northern Command and the U.S. Army North’s Task Force 51 in southern California, from June 7, 2025, to the present, and reflecting any estimate of the total expenses that will be incurred by the 90-day further mobilization of 300 California National Guard troops, effective August 8, 2025.”

While Newsom is demanding what the costs are, the DOD previously answered that way back on June 10th – $134 million. While Newsom is obviously hoping for it to cost more, the early exit from L.A. by the majority of troops could prove to actually go under the estimate. And Newsom isn’t even adding into the fact how much more damage would have been done to federal buildings and other areas of L.A. if they hadn’t been deployed at all. The federal government hasn’t released those figures yet on how much damage was prevented as a result. Newsom likes throwing figures around like the mass deportations possibly costing California $275 billion this year in economic impact, but he isn’t waiting until the full cost is known.

As of Wednesday evening, the White House and DOD have yet to respond to Newsom’s request, with Hegseth not legally having to respond to the request until late August.

For more than a month beginning in June, over 4,000 California National Guard troops and 800 U.S. Marines were deployed in Los Angeles to help keep the peace following large anti-ICE protests in the city. In addition to helping quell protests and riots, the troops also assisted in helping carry out arrests, protecting federal buildings, and guarding federal agents. Overall, deployments were set for 60 days, to help ensure that additional help would be there through most of the summer.

While initially in demand, the number of protests against ICE and federal agents greatly dropped off. The California National Guard even requested the federal government to release a few hundred troops earlier this month to help assist with wildfires. However, the federal government opted to keep troops in place for the fourth of July and a little bit past to ensure that protests wouldn’t spike again. But with no more major incidents that required military assistance, the Pentagon opted to remove 2,000 of the deployed troops from the city last month, as well as all the Marines deployed there.

Several city and state lawmakers, including Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas (D-Hollister), Senate Pro Tem Mike McGuire (D-Healdsburg), and Governor Gavin Newsom, were enraged that troops were still in the city, and continued to call for the removal of the rest of the National Guardsmen. While the calls were not effective, the looming August deployment end of service, as well as fewer and fewer anti-ICE incidents and protests influenced the Pentagon to take a look at current deployment. This led to their decision last week to deactivate all but 300 troops still in the city.

The 300 National Guard troops recently had their orders extended through November 5th, likely to remain on standby should another incident occur and require federal assistance, or if a federal building needs to be protected again. In addition, the Newsom v. Trump case is still going on, with a District Court scheduled to hear evidence next week.

As for the FOIA request, Secretary Hegseth will have until August 26th to make a determination on if it is granted or not.