'Wildly underprepared': National Guard troops seen sleeping on floors in exclusive photos

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U.S. & WORLD // CALIFORNIA
‘Wildly underprepared’: National Guard troops seen sleeping on floors in exclusive photos

By Matthias Gafni,
Investigative Reporter
June 9, 2025


Photos obtained by the Chronicle show California National Guard troops deployed by the Trump administration to Los Angeles packed together in what appear to federal building basements or loading docks.
Source

President Donald Trump’s rush to deploy California National Guard troops to Los Angeles has left dozens of soldiers without adequate sleeping arrangements, forced to pack together in one or more federal buildings, resting on the floors of what appear to be basements or loading docks, the Chronicle has learned.

The state troops federalized by the Trump administration over the weekend to confront immigration protesters, without the approval of Gov. Gavin Newsom, were “wildly underprepared,” said a person directly involved with the deployment, who asked to remain anonymous because they were not authorized to speak on the issue.

The troops — whose makeshift quarters are shown in photographs exclusively obtained by the Chronicle — arrived without federal funding for food, water, fuel, equipment or lodging, said the source, who was granted confidentiality under Chronicle policies. This person said state officials and the California National Guard were not to blame.
“This is what happens when the president and (Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth) demand the National Guard state assets deploy immediately with no plan in place … (and) no federal funding available for food, water, fuel and lodging,” the source said. “This is really the failure of the federal government. If you’re going to federalize these troops, then take care of them.”


Photos obtained by the Chronicle show California National Guard troops deployed by the Trump administration to Los Angeles packed together in what appear to federal building basements or loading docks. The source who provided the photo said they redacted the name of one soldier that appeared in this photo.
Source

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