Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass criticized the federal deployment of National Guard troops in her city during an interview appearance on CBS News’ Face the Nation on Sunday, stating that most of the soldiers were left with little to do other than “playing video games” and guarding empty federal buildings.

Around 4,000 guardsmen were deployed by President Donald Trump to Los Angeles early last month, against the wishes of state and city officials, in response to protests, some of which turned violent, against immigration enforcement actions across the city.

According to Bass, only 200 of those deployed were actually utilized, leaving the rest idling in “complete boredom.”

Last month, Trump sent 4,000 National Guardsmen and 700 Marines to Los Angeles in response to reported violence against law enforcement, specifically ICE agents carrying out deportation raids in the city.

While the raids are following a legal directive from federal authorities, protests erupted amid reports that detainees were being held in the basement of a federal building. ICE denied the allegations, with a spokesperson previously telling the media,  the agency “categorically refutes the assertions made by immigration activists in Los Angeles.”

The clashes highlighted deepening conflicts between sanctuary jurisdictions and federal immigration policy, as Trump has implemented sweeping changes through executive orders and utilized the wartime Alien Enemies Act of 1798 to expand deportation authority.

Bass and California Governor Gavin Newsom have been highly critical of the Trump’s administration’s decision to deploy the National Guard against their wishes, arguing it was overreach and unnecessary.

On Sunday, Bass told CBS News’ Margaret Brennan that the thousands of National Guard troops had been largely confined to protecting two federal buildings and rarely engaged in protest management or local law enforcement actions. On Sunday, Bass told CBS News’ Margaret Brennan that the thousands of National Guard troops had been largely confined to protecting two federal buildings and rarely engaged in protest management or local law enforcement actions.

“My understanding is most of their time has been spent in complete boredom playing video games and essentially waiting around because again, 4,000 deployed, and about 200 actually used,” the Democratic mayor said.

Bass added that the immigration raid protests had remained mostly peaceful and were largely managed by local law enforcement, not federal troops.

“Our police department and our sheriff’s department are the ones that brought the protests when it devolved into violence under control. We never needed the National Guard in the first place. This is a political stunt, a terrible misuse of taxpayers’ dollars,” she said.

On Tuesday, nearly six weeks after their initial deployment, the Pentagon announced that half of the National Guard soldiers would be released from duty. That still leaves around 2,000 guardsmen and a number of Marines left in the city.

Meanwhile, the original deployment order, set for 60 days, continues to be challenged in federal court.

Judge Charles Breyer of the U.S. District Court ruled last month that the federal mobilization exceeded presidential authority and violated the 10th Amendment. However, the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals has since paused the ruling, allowing the deployment to continue while the court case proceeds.