Los Angeles police quickly enforced a curfew in downtown on Tuesday night, arresting people shortly after it started. They used officers on horseback and special projectiles to control the crowd and break up a group of hundreds who were protesting President Trump's immigration policies.

National Guard members stood guard behind plastic shields, but they did not seem to be involved in the arrests.

After several hours, most of the protesters had gone, but there were still some small fights, not as big as on previous nights. Officials explained that the curfew was necessary to stop people from causing trouble, damaging things, and stealing.

Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom criticized Trump, saying he used the National Guard too much and created a "military dragnet" in Los Angeles. Marines were also sent, but they weren't seen on the streets on Tuesday.

Newsom asked a court to quickly stop the military from helping federal immigration officers. Some guardsmen were even protecting these officers while they made arrests. Newsom said this would just make things more tense and could lead to public unrest. The judge set a court date for Thursday, which means the government can keep doing these things for a few more days.

This change means soldiers might get involved in police work, like deportations, which Trump has said will happen as part of his government's plan to control immigration. The Guard can hold people for a short time if they attack officers, but the police will be the ones to arrest them.

Trump has called up more than 4,000 National Guard members and 700 Marines, even though city and state leaders did not agree. They were originally sent to protect government buildings.

Protests have now spread to other cities across the country, including Dallas, Austin, Chicago, and New York. In New York, about a thousand people gathered, and several arrests were made.

In Texas, police in Austin used tear gas on hundreds of protesters on Monday. Because of this, Governor Greg Abbott's office announced on Tuesday that National Guard troops are ready to help in areas where more protests are expected.

Assistant Police Chief Jesse Salame said that members of the National Guard went to San Antonio. However, he didn't know how many were sent or why they were there.

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass declared a local emergency because of the ongoing protests. She also put a curfew in place from 8 p.m. Tuesday until 6 a.m. Wednesday, and she expects it to last for several days.

Bass said on Tuesday at a press conference that the situation became very serious after 23 businesses were robbed.

The curfew applies to a small part of downtown, about 2.5 square kilometers, where protests have been happening since Friday. However, the city of Los Angeles is much bigger, covering around 1,300 square kilometers.

According to Los Angeles Police Chief Jim McDonnell, the curfew does not apply to people who live in the special area, homeless people, approved journalists, or emergency and public safety workers.

McDonnell stated that "illegal and risky actions" had been increasing since Saturday.

McDonnell explained that the curfew is important to keep people and property safe, after several days of growing problems in the city.

Trump suggested he might use the Insurrection Act, a law that lets the president send the military into the U.S. to stop serious unrest or to make sure laws are followed. It's a very powerful emergency authority.

He said from the Oval Office that he would definitely use it if there was a rebellion, and then added, "We'll see what happens."

Later, the president called the protesters "animals" and "a foreign enemy" in a speech at Fort Bragg. This speech was given to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Army.

Trump has criticized Los Angeles, but Bass and Newsom say that what he describes is not true.

In a speech on Tuesday night, Newsom said that Trump's actions were an attack on democracy.

"California might be the first to do this, but it's clear it won't stop here. Other states are likely to follow," he stated.

Newsom warned people not to cause violence, but told them to oppose the president's actions.

Donald Trump wants you to be loyal and quiet, so you become involved in what he is doing. Don't let him have that.

Protests began on Friday after immigration police arrested many workers in Los Angeles. During the weekend, protesters blocked a main road and burned cars. The police then used tear gas, rubber bullets, and stun grenades to control the situation.

Most of the protests have happened in the city center of this city, which has four million people. Thousands of people gathered peacefully near City Hall, and hundreds more protested at a government building. This building also has a detention center where some immigrants are being held after being arrested at their workplaces.

Even though people have protested, immigration officers are still working in the county. City leaders and community groups say they've seen them at libraries, car washes, and Home Depot stores. Schools in Los Angeles have increased security at graduation ceremonies because they are worried about immigration officers. Some schools are even letting parents watch the ceremonies online using Zoom.

McDonnell said that on Tuesday, police arrested 197 people, and 67 of them were held because they illegally blocked part of the 101 freeway.

Several businesses were broken into on Monday, but the police didn't say if it was connected to the protests.

Most arrests were for not leaving an area when told to, while some others were for serious crimes like assault with a weapon, stealing, damaging property, and attempting murder by throwing a Molotov cocktail. Seven police officers were reportedly injured, and at least two were taken to a hospital and later discharged.

On Tuesday, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said that more troops will probably be used inside the US.

The Pentagon said it cost $134 million to send the National Guard and Marines.