California: National Guard firefighters finally back to work — but Trump’s militarization of LA has pulled cops from the street and teachers out of classrooms
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~ Los Angeles, California - After weeks of pressure from Governor Gavin Newsom, President Trump has finally allowed California's wildfire crews to return to the frontlines. However, nearly 5,000 soldiers remain sidelined in Los Angeles as part of Trump's controversial militarization of the city.

The Governor has been vocal about his disapproval of Trump's actions, stating that these men and women did not sign up to be political props for the President. While allowing some members of the California National Guard's Task Force Rattlesnake teams to return to their jobs fighting wildfires is a step in the right direction, there are still thousands of service members being blocked from their real jobs as police officers, paramedics, teachers, and public servants.

Task Force Rattlesnake is a specialized crew made up of over 300 Cal Guard members who work with CAL FIRE to prevent and fight wildfires. These brave individuals clear brush, cut fire lines, and deploy on the frontlines during peak fire season. However, due to Trump's order diverting more than half of the teams to Los Angeles, the task force was operating at only 40% capacity while fires continued to flare up across the state.

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But it wasn't just fire crews that were pulled from their duties. According to estimates from the California National Guard, out of over 4,000 service members sent to Los Angeles under Trump's order:

- 385 are medical and first responders

- 370 are service workers

- 361 are contractors or work in building trades

- 355 are police officers or corrections officials

- 158 are civil servants and government workers

- 170 work in technology

- 158 are educators and teachers

- 97 work in agriculture

This diversion also had a significant impact on CalGuard's efforts at the border. Approximately 32% of their servicemembers dedicated to the state's Counterdrug Task Force were reassigned to Los Angeles, leaving only 450 deployed statewide. These servicemembers typically work to combat transnational criminal organizations and seize illegal narcotics at ports of entry. Since 2021, they have helped seize nearly 31,000 pounds of fentanyl and over 50 million pills containing fentanyl, with a street value of more than $450 million.

The consequences of this diversion are dire, as CalGuard's efforts play a crucial role in ensuring the safety of communities statewide. However, with these servicemembers being pulled from their jobs and families, their missions are put on hold.

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This disruption comes at a time when Congress is debating Trump's budget proposal, which includes cuts to wildfire prevention funding and healthcare for over 10 million Americans. Instead, it allocates billions towards aggressive immigration raids that have been targeting families, workers, and businesses nationwide.

Governor Newsom has been actively working to address these issues and has challenged President Trump to adopt a model executive order that would help "Make America Rake Again." California has already invested billions in fighting fires and reducing wildfire risk while the federal government continues to neglect its responsibility in managing 57% of the state's forest lands.

In an effort to prevent future wildfires on federal lands, Governor Newsom will be making an announcement tomorrow about a new wildfire prevention strategy. This strategy has the potential to make a significant impact on over half of the forest lands in California.

In addition to addressing wildfire prevention, Governor Newsom has also signed into law groundbreaking housing reforms that aim to build more affordable housing for Californians. These reforms are part of his ongoing efforts to deliver for local communities and improve the lives of all Californians.

Filed Under: Government, State
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