Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth forcefully defended the deployment of National Guard troops and U.S. Marines to Los Angeles during a hearing on Tuesday.

The change moves troops closer to engaging in law enforcement actions like deportations as Trump has promised.

The protests began Friday after Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents carried out coordinated raids across Los Angeles, detaining dozens of workers at warehouses and other worksites. The arrests sparked immediate backlash, with demonstrators converging outside federal buildings, blocking freeways, and in some cases clashing with police.

National Guard troops are now protecting Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers in and around Los Angeles, marking an expansion of their duties since being deployed by President Donald Trump this week.

Protests against ICE are spreading across the U.S. as the Trump administration intensifies its response to gatherings in Los Angeles.

Armed National Guard troops are accompanying immigration agents as they carry out mass deportation raids on the streets of Los Angeles, multiple sources told The Post.

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.

HOW WE GOT HERE: The protests erupted after Immigration Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers on Friday carried out raids in three locations across L.A., where dozens of people were taken into custody. Newsom called the raids “chaotic federal sweeps” that aimed to fill an “arbitrary arrest quota.”