Newsom demands transparency on cost of Trump’s National Guard deployment in California

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SACRAMENTO, Calif. (FOX 5/KUSI) — California Governor Gavin Newsom is calling on the federal government to disclose how much taxpayers paid for the Trump administration’s controversial deployment of the National Guard in Los Angeles earlier this year.

On Wednesday, the Governor’s Office announced it filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request to obtain records from the Department of Defense related to the cost of the June 2025 mobilization, which Newsom has repeatedly called an “illegal militarization of Los Angeles.”

“It’s been 60 days since the federal government deployed the military against its own citizens, over the objection of state and local officials,” Newsom said in a statement. “Americans deserve to know how much taxpayer money the President spent to orchestrate this political theater.”

The FOIA request seeks documentation detailing the total expenses incurred to activate U.S. Marines and federalize the California National Guard beginning June 7, 2025.

According to prior congressional testimony, Pentagon staff estimated that the deployment could cost $134 million. The Governor’s Office now wants to confirm those numbers and make them public.

Trial date set in Newsom v. Trump

The FOIA request comes just ahead of a federal trial next week in Newsom v. Trump, a lawsuit challenging the legality of the federal government’s actions in California. At the heart of the case is the claim that President Trump overstepped his authority by federalizing California National Guard troops without the state’s consent.

Currently, 300 National Guard soldiers remain deployed at Joint Forces Training Base Los Alamitos, according to the Governor’s Office. Over the past two months, 4,700 National Guard members have demobilized.

State officials say the troops were pulled away from critical civilian roles such as teaching, healthcare, construction, and emergency response — roles they argue are essential to the state’s functioning.

Economic fallout

In addition to transparency concerns, Newsom’s office outlined the economic toll of the National Guard deployment and recent immigration raids, which they link to a broader federal campaign.

A report cited by the governor indicates:

• A 3.1% drop in private-sector attendance, comparable to the economic shock of COVID-19 lockdowns.
• Mass detentions and deportations could cost the California economy $275 billion and slash $23 billion in annual tax revenue.
• Undocumented immigrants contributed $8.5 billion in state and local taxes in 2022, with estimates reaching $10.3 billion if lawful work status were granted.

During recent meetings with small business owners and faith leaders in Bell and Downey, Newsom said communities are seeing the direct effects of immigration enforcement and labor disruptions.

Newsom is now seeking to pinpoint exactly just how much taxpayers are out after the National Guard deployment in Los Angeles.