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

President Donald Trump has built his presidency around stretching the bounds of presidential authority, and his response to protests over an immigration crackdown in Los Angeles is no exception.

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.

A Department of Homeland Security request for 21,000 National Guard troops to support "expansive interior immigration enforcement operations" includes a call for troops to search for unaccompanied children in some cases.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom has asked a federal court to block the Trump administration from using the National Guard and Marines to assist with immigration raids in Los Angeles, saying it would only

Some 700 US Marines have been deployed to the LA area and the contingent of National Guard troops mobilised to help quell the disorder has been doubled to 4,000. California Governor Gavin Newsom said the move was fulfilling "the deranged fantasy of a dictatorial president".