Americans react to Trump sending military into Los Angeles

US President Donald Trump has sent thousands of National Guard troops and hundreds of US Marines to Los Angeles as protests take place against the administration’s ramped-up immigration enforcement.

While the president’s allies cheer him on, both the governor of California and the mayor of Los Angeles say Trump is overstepping his authority and stoking tensions.

Everyday Americans are no less divided over the issue. But do they feel it is the president or the protesters who have gone too far?

Here’s what six voters had to say about the news.

This Indiana man worries about the precedent Trump is setting by sending the National Guard into Los Angeles.

I’ve seen some different takes on the legality of it, but it feels to me like the federal government is being very, very heavy-handed on this, which is concerning to me since protest is a protected form of expression in this country.

I’m concerned that this sets Americans against Americans, and specifically American military against American citizens.

The Trump administration is going about [the ICE raids] in an interesting manner… While making unilateral raids like these, they’re making a lot of mistakes and those mistakes are costing people their freedoms. [The Trump administration] is not admitting to their mistakes and they’re not following due process.

We have laws in this country for a reason.

This Mexico-born Texas resident – a naturalised US citizen – supports the deployment of troops to put down “shameful” protests in California.

It’s a shame that people who have come to this country to set themselves up are doing this, the riots.

I tend to think that many of the rioters are people with criminal histories. Violent protesters.

People that want to be here to create a future and have a family in this generous country would not be doing that. Many are even waving Mexican flags. That’s so shameful.

I respect the president in so many ways. He is a guy who knows how to get things done. He’s the law-and-order president. What was he supposed to do? Let them burn trash? Let them destroy Los Angeles?

This California woman is distraught over what she sees in Los Angeles and an “attack” on immigrants by the Trump administration.

When I saw they called on the National Guard, I just started crying because he’s weaponising everything he possibly can. There’s no free speech, there’s no dissent – it’s Hitler’s playbook all over again.

It’s heartbreaking, really.

I just feel for the people he’s targeting. It’s wrong, it’s so un-American. It’s so against what this country was founded for.

I’m just shocked. I probably shouldn’t be, but I just can’t believe it’s happening. I can’t believe the military and the National Guard are supporting this.

This Indiana man wants the violence to stop, but also worries about what deploying the military in response to protests means for the future.

This goes far beyond just protest, in my view. This is an attack on our sovereignty and our civil society. We can debate immigration policy, but violence and chaos should not be tolerated.

[But Trump is] the one who’s going to push the envelope to the legal limit, and if he can get by with more, he will, I think.

That’s one of my concerns about this whole thing. I’m not 100% on board with it, but at the same time, I think something has to be done. It’s not getting taken care of.

My trepidation is about precedent…I feel like everything we do, when we set new precedents, it will become new norms and not the exception.

This Nebraska woman says she’s likely to get involved with protests happening in her town because she’s upset with what she sees Trump doing in LA.

When watching clips, I saw some mostly peaceful protests. It seems like Trump is just mad that they’re happening, rather than trying to prevent them from being violent.

More and more, he’s become a president who uses his power to enforce his will [rather] than the will of the people.

I wonder to what extent is he going to keep doing this.

It’s extremely valid that people are protesting ICE, because in all honesty there is very little proof of due process for people who have been taken by ICE and wrongfully detained.

A 29-year veteran of the US Army who retired as a colonel, this Texan – from the overwhelmingly Latino Rio Grande City on the border – believes that it is the protests that have gone too far.

When state and local governments fail to support federal law – in this case deportation orders – the military deployment is necessary to protect lives, property and the movement of commerce.

The protesters are blocking major highways, disrupting commerce, destroying and burning police cars, and interfering with police orders to disperse in certain areas.

Everyone has the right to protest, but you don’t have the right to make me or others listen to you.

Creating violence so I can have your attention comes with consequences.