Clashes between protesters and police in Los Angeles amid the deployment of the National Guard

Protesters burned cars and clashed with police in Los Angeles last night as protests against the detention of immigrants continued for a third day, amid a deployment of National Guard troops ordered by President Donald Trump to the streets of the second-largest US city.

The raids, which began in broad daylight in a city with a large Latino population, were expected to spark angry reactions. But opponents say Trump, who has made cracking down on illegal immigration a key plank of his second term, was deliberately inflaming tensions by deploying the California National Guard, a reserve military force that typically reports to the state governor.

"We didn't have a problem until Trump intervened," California Governor Gavin Newsom wrote on Twitter. "This is a serious violation of state sovereignty... inflaming tensions while diverting resources from where they are needed. Rescind the order."

"Regain control to California." At least three Waymo self-driving cars caught fire Sunday afternoon, and two others were vandalized as protesters roamed a limited area of downtown Los Angeles. Traffic was halted on a major freeway for more than an hour, as dozens of people swarmed the road.

California Highway Patrol agents pushed them back with stun grenades and smoke bombs. But after a limited early confrontation between federal agents from the Department of Homeland Security and dozens of protesters at a detention center, all clashes became local law enforcement. By the afternoon, Los Angeles police officers had established lines some distance from federal buildings, preventing contact between the angry protesters and the dozens of armed National Guardsmen from the 79th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, who had assembled in helmets and camouflage.

Trump pledged that the National Guard would enforce "law and order," leaving the door open to the possibility of deploying troops to other cities. When asked about the use of the National Guard, Trump hinted at the possibility of deploying troops more widely in other parts of the country.

Trump told reporters that the forces sent to Los Angeles would enforce "very strong law and order," adding, "There are violent people out there, and we're not going to let them get away with it."

Asked about invoking the Insurrection Act, which allows the deployment of military forces to suppress protests, Trump said, "We're looking at troops everywhere. We won't let that happen in our country."

On Sunday, Democratic governors of US states condemned Trump's deployment of National Guard troops to Los Angeles, noting that the authority to do so rests with the governor. In a joint statement, the governors said the move "is a dangerous abuse of power."

The US Northern Command, part of the Department of Defense responsible for national defense, said that "approximately 500 Marines... are ready to deploy if necessary to reinforce and support" ongoing federal operations.

The National Guard (a reserve military) is often called in during natural disasters such as the Los Angeles fires, and sometimes during civil unrest, but generally with the approval of local officials.

Republicans on Sunday affirmed their support for Trump in rejecting statements by local officials who considered the protests to be mostly peaceful and that deploying the National Guard would exacerbate tensions.

"I'm not concerned about that at all," House Speaker Mike Johnson told ABC News, saying Newsom "showed an inability or unwillingness to do what was necessary there, so the president stepped in."

Commenting on Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's suggestion that the Marines could be used to support the National Guard, Johnson said he didn't see it as an exaggeration, adding, "We have to be ready to do what's necessary."

Protesters argued that the troops were not sent to maintain order. "I think it's an intimidation tactic," said Thomas Henning. "These protests are peaceful. No one is trying to do any harm right now, yet the National Guard is out there with full magazines and big guns trying to intimidate Americans from exercising our First Amendment rights."

Estrella Corral said protesters were angry about the arrest of hard-working immigrant workers who had done nothing wrong by masked immigration officers. "This is our community, and we want to feel safe," she said. "Trump's deployment of the National Guard is ridiculous. I think it's escalating things."

Marshall Goldberg, 78, said the deployment of National Guard members left him feeling "deeply offended." "We hate what they did to undocumented workers, but this takes it to another level of taking away the right to protest and the right to peaceful assembly," he added.

American activist Kenneth Ross, former president of Human Rights Watch, explained that this is the first time since 1965 that the head of the National Guard has deployed without a request from the state governor. He considered Trump "putting on a show to continue his immigration raids."

Since taking office in January, Trump has implemented his pledge to crack down on undocumented immigrants, whom he likened to "monsters" and "animals."

On Friday, armed and masked immigration agents carried out raids in several parts of Los Angeles, prompting angry crowds to gather and sparking clashes that lasted for hours.

A CBS News poll conducted before the Los Angeles protests showed that a slight majority of Americans still support the anti-immigration campaign.

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum defended immigrants living in the United States on Sunday.

"Mexicans living in the United States are... honest men and women who went in search of a better life and to provide for their families. They are not criminals," Sheinbaum said.