Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth deployed an additional 2,000 National Guard troops to Los Angeles.

In a Tuesday night press release, U.S. Northern Command announced the deployment of the California National Guard troops under a Title 10 status to protect federal property in the city. Task Force 51, as the force in Los Angeles is designated, previously consisted of roughly 4,100 National Guard troops and 700 Marines, deployed last week in response to anti-ICE riots in the city.

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“As with other units identified to support this mission, the brigade will not directly participate in civilian law enforcement activities,” the NORTHCOM statement said regarding the new deployment. “The activation of the 49th is intended to provide Task Force 51 with adequate numbers of forces to provide continuous coverage of the area in support of the lead federal agency.”

“The soldiers are completing training on de-escalation, crowd control, and use of the standing rules for the use of force in advance of joining the federal protection mission,” it continued, adding that the troops wouldn’t conduct law enforcement activities such as arrests. “Their focus is the safety and continuity of federal functions.”

The announcement came as a surprise to many, given the growing impression that the protests and riots were simmering down. Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass recently eased parts of the nighttime curfew.

Gov. Gavin Newsom’s (D-CA) office, which has led the state’s publicity campaign against Trump’s handling of the riots, condemned the new deployment as useless.

“This isn’t a new deployment — it’s the same group of soldiers who have been diverted from critical wildfire work and work at the border, now twiddling their thumbs for Donald Trump’s political theater,” Diana Crofts-Pelayo, a spokeswoman from Newsom’s office, told NBC News.

APPEALS COURT PANEL SKEPTICAL OF CALIFORNIA BID TO BLOCK TRUMP’S NATIONAL GUARD DEPLOYMENT

Meanwhile, a legal battle over control of the National Guard continues in the courts.

On Tuesday, a federal appeals court appeared skeptical of Newsom’s lawsuit to regain control of the soldiers from Trump.