In LA, hundreds of protesters have taken to the streets, blocking a highway and setting fire to self-driving cars. “It feels like war,” people at the scene say.

Hundreds of protesters gathered Sunday afternoon outside the Metropolitan Detention Center in Los Angeles, where soldiers from the California National Guard stood shoulder to shoulder. Protesters shouted,"Shame on you and go home."

Not long after, Los Angeles police fired smoke bombs to disperse the protesters, who police said had gathered without a permit.

Several protesters moved on to Highway 101. There they blocked traffic for over an hour, before traffic police were able to remove them with smoke grenades.

At least three self-driving taxis were set on fire in the city center. Two other self-driving taxis were vandalized. According to the Los Angeles Times, police ordered everyone to leave the city center. They deployed helicopters to monitor the demonstrations, writes CNN.

The police fired rubber bullets at protesters, hitting TV journalist Lauren Tomasi while she was filming. She is 9News Australia's US correspondent:

The Swedish Aftonbladet is in town. There is supposed to be an apocalyptic atmosphere.

– It feels like I'm in a developing country. It feels like war. I went to bed in LA – and woke up in Iraq, says Sara Aguilar (30) to the newspaper .

Trump: – We're going to show strength

The demonstrations are a reaction to the Trump administration's drive to deport what it considers illegal immigrants. Trump has set a goal of arresting at least 3,000 migrants every day.

There have been protests in several places in recent days, both in and near LA. However, Mayor Karen Bass believes that sending 2,000 soldiers to the city is in no way necessary.

The US president has received a lot of criticism for sending soldiers to LA after the demonstrations.

"If we see a danger to our country, we are going to show strength," Trump said Sunday evening.

According to him, it was necessary to maintain law and order, reports BBC.

– Deliberately provocative

California Governor Gavin Newsom has urged the Trump administration to withdraw the troops.

He believes that the use of the National Guard is something that the state should decide on. Donald Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth believe that local authorities are unable to handle the situation. Therefore, they have ordered several hundred soldiers from the National Guard to the city.

Trump claims there is lawlessness in LA. This is rejected by local authorities.

It is the first time since 1965 that a president has sent the National Guard to a state without the governor's request, writes The New York Times.

California Governor Gavin Newson has called it deliberately provocative. He believes the government just wants to put on a show.

Newson urged protesters not to give it to them. Trump, for his part, called the governor incompetent.