TRUMP AT WAR WITH LA

National Guard officers deployed | Defence Sec says Marines may go too

- BY CHRISTOPHER BUCKTIN

NATIONAL Guard troops mobilised by Donald Trump have set up in Los Angeles in a bid to quell rioting.

Around 2,000 soldiers were reported to be on duty in the California city after days of civil unrest in protest at raids by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents.

Up to 120 people were detained in the military-style raids last week.

The unrest, centred in the heavily Latino Paramount district of LA, has led to dozens of arrests and the use of tear gas amid violent clashes between authorities and demonstrators.

Further protests were planned for last night, with the National Guard mainly deployed around the detention centre in downtown LA.

On the weekend, protesters had thrown projectiles, fireworks and other objects at ICE officers and Los Angeles County Sheriff's deputies.

Officials described the situation as "violent behaviour towards federal agents and deputy sheriffs".

Outside a Home Depot shop, where the backlash first ignited, tear gas and smoke had hung in the air. Authorities deployed flash bangs and fired tear gas every few minutes in a bid to disperse the crowd.

Protesters and locals had reported that many undocumented migrants were sheltering inside businesses, too afraid to leave, as ICE agents turned out in force to target them.

Paramount's population is more than 80% Hispanic, and many locals view the federal raids as an assault on their community.