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.

During the volatile early days of the racial justice protests in 2020, city officials in Los Angeles at first resisted calling for National Guard assistance before deciding that troops were needed to control crowds.

National Guard members and Marines deployed to Los Angeles cannot perform law enforcement duties by law. That would change if Trump invokes the Insurrection Act.

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.

Pentagon officials said the cost of deploying thousands of National Guard troops and Marines to Los Angeles is $134 million.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Tuesday defended the administration's mobilization of the National Guard and members of the Marine Corps to Los Angeles amid ongoing immigration protests.

More demonstrations are under way in Los Angeles as the Trump Administration more than tripled the number of troops in the city and Gov. Gavin Newsom sued to stop him.

President Donald Trump has deployed 4,000 National Guardsmen and 700 Marines to LA. But California Gov. Gavin Newsom and California Attorney General Rob Bonta are suing the Trump administration, saying they unlawfully "trampled over" California’s sovereignty when they federalized the California National Guard.

The California Governor has sued the U.S. President over the mobilization of the National Guard, calling it “an unmistakable step toward authoritarianism.”