Meanwhile, Governor Gavin Newsom asked a court to put an emergency stop to the military helping federal immigration agents, with some guardsmen now standing in protection around agents as they carried out arrests.

Trump defended his decision to deploy 4,000 National Guard troops and 700 Marines to LA, vowing to "liberate" the city and prevent it being "conquered by a foreign enemy". The immigration raids that triggered the protests last Friday are continuing with National Guard troops now protecting border control agents on enforcement operations.

The protests began Friday after Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents carried out coordinated raids across Los Angeles, detaining dozens of workers at warehouses and other worksites. The arrests sparked immediate backlash, with demonstrators converging outside federal buildings, blocking freeways, and in some cases clashing with police.