Pentagon: US Spent $150 Million on National Guard Deployment to Los Angeles

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The United States Department of Defense, or Pentagon, has reported that the deployment of National Guard and Marine Corps personnel to the site of immigration protests in Los Angeles, California, will cost US$134 million.

On Tuesday, Bryn Woollacott MacDonnell, the acting deputy financial officer of the Department of Defense, revealed this information to members of the U.S. Congress, as reported by the Toledo Blade. This came to light after the U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth faced a barrage of questions from members of Congress about the cost of the deployment.

Hegseth then asked MacDonnell to explain to members of the defense allocation subcommittee of the U.S. House of Representatives.

MacDonnell, the special assistant to the U.S. Secretary of Defense currently serving as the top financial official at the Pentagon, said the estimated cost for the deployment at this point is US$134 million, the majority of which is only for travel, lodging, and food.

He added that this budget is sourced from operational and maintenance accounts.

Hegseth added that they have been very open about the 60-day deployment duration because they want the rioters, looters, and criminals attacking our police officers to know that they will not back down.

Since the widespread protests that erupted after the immigration raids last Friday in the garment district of Los Angeles, President Donald Trump's administration has deployed 700 active-duty Marine personnel.

Trump has also doubled the deployment of National Guard from 2,000 to 4,000 personnel. This is to quell the protests in the Los Angeles area protesting the Trump administration's efforts to deport more migrants.

This action bypassed the authority of California Governor Gavin Newsom, sparking protests that spread to other U.S. cities. California Governor Gavin Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass have asserted that the military deployment is unnecessary.

In a debate with Democratic Party member of the California House of Representatives, Pete Aguilar, who leads the Democratic Caucus of the House of Representatives, said the governor of California and the mayor of Los Angeles failed to protect their people. Therefore, President Trump said he would protect our agents.

The state of California has sued the Trump administration over the use of force, arguing that it violates the state's sovereignty. Hegseth responded that Trump has "all the necessary authority" to intervene.

Editor's Choice: Los Angeles Declares Curfew as Protests Over Trump's Immigration Raids Escalate

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