Military troops are protecting federal immigration enforcement agents as they conduct sweeps for illegal immigrants in California. On Tuesday, the Trump administration detailed the role National Guardsmen are playing to provide cover for Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents as they target illegal immigrants in Los Angeles.

Soldiers mobilized by President Trump protected ICE agents on their raids in Los Angeles. The state of California said the deployment was illegal.

On Tuesday, the X page for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) posted photos of California National Guardsmen on the scene of a detention being carried out by an ICE agent with the caption "Photos from today's ICE Los Angeles immigration enforcement operation."

Protests against immigration enforcement raids have sprung up across the country from Seattle and Austin to Chicago and Washington, D.

Monday's protests were largely calmer than Sunday's clashes. California officials insist that the 4,000 National Guards troops and 700 active duty Marines en route to L.A. are an unnecessary abuse of power by Trump.

Military-style vehicles and National Guard troops have blocked a portion of 4th Street in front of the Ronald Reagan Federal Building and Courthouse.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Another 2,000 National Guard troops along with 700 Marines are headed to Los Angeles on orders from President Donald Trump, escalating a military presence local officials and Gov. Gavin Newsom don’t want and the police chief says creates logistical challenges for safely handling protests.

The Trump administration argued in federal court that any judicial intervention to curtail its deployment of military troops to Los Angeles would endanger federal immigration agents and undermine the president's authority to keep American cities safe.