U.S. North Command in Colorado Springs says "500 Marines" are "prepared to deploy" to Los Angeles and assist the California Army National Guard amid violent protests.

Protests and rioting in Los Angeles against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents' arrests of illegal aliens entered a third day Sunday, with hundreds flooding the 101 freeway in downtown Los Angeles and bringing traffic to a standstill.

Police said that California Highway Patrol officers attempted to disperse the demonstrators off the southbound section of the freeway. LAPD also said cars had been set on fire in a historic neighborhood, causing authorities to declare an unlawful assembly.

In response to those protests, President Trump on Saturday deployed 2,000 National Guardsmen to Los Angeles despite California Gov. Gavin Newsom's (D) objection, which is the first time a president has taken such action since former President Lyndon B. Johnson sent the National Guard to Alabama to protect civil rights protesters in 1965.

U.S. North Command on Sunday announced that, as part of its "land component command, U.S. Army North stood up Task Force 51, with a two-star general, as the ground command and control element over the Title 10 forces."

"Additionally, approximately 500 Marines from 2nd Battalion, 7th Marines at Twentynine Palms, California, are in a prepared to deploy status should they be necessary to augment and support the [Department of Defense's] protection of federal property and personnel efforts," the command also said.

California Democrat Gov. Gavin Newsom on Monday sued the Trump administration over the president's deployment of the state's National Guard.

While the military is usually prohibited from carrying out domestic law enforcement duties, using the Insurrection Act is viewed as a possible workaround, The Hill news outlet reported.

Trump didn't rule out invoking the act on Sunday during a press gaggle, but suggested the Los Angeles protests have not yet risen to insurrection.

Following the gaggle, Trump posted on Truth Social claiming that “violent, insurrectionist mobs are swarming and attacking our Federal Agents to try and stop our deportation operations.” He also said he directed Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth “to take all such action necessary to liberate Los Angeles from the Migrant Invasion, and put an end to these Migrant riots.”

Hegseth announced on Saturday that he will deploy active-duty Marines to Los Angeles if the violence continues during the anti-ICE protests.