The soldiers will be "seamlessly integrated" with the national guardsmen already on site in Los Angeles, writes the US Northern Command in a press release.
A senior government official tells AFP that the soldiers will help protect federal officials and federal buildings.
The announcement follows the massive protests that have been going on in central Los Angeles since Friday against the immigration authority ICE and its increased raids against residents, especially in Latino-dominated areas.
Thousands of demonstrators have clashed with riot police and the National Guard – called in by the president over the head of California's Governor Gavin Newsom.
The governor has responded that the state will file a lawsuit against Donald Trump on Monday, which it believes has broken the law by calling in the National Guard on its own, which is normally subordinate to the governor.
Different interpretations
The state's Minister of Justice Rob Bonta says during a digital press conference that the president is "abusing his authority" and "trampling" California's self-determination.
The president is breaking the law – again. But if that's his way, our response is to take him to court. We will do that every time, he says.
The Trump administration, in turn, refers to a law that gives the president the right to call in the National Guard for federal service in the event of "rebellion or danger of rebellion" against the US government. Trump himself claims that the decision was absolutely crucial.
"If we hadn't done it, Los Angeles would have been completely wiped out," he writes on Truth Social.
In another post, he writes that "if they spit, we strike back," a reference to the fact that spit guards from the "rebels" will be met with physical violence.
More to come
In total, Trump has ordered the deployment of 2,000 national guardsmen. One thousand of these will be on site in central Los Angeles on Monday, when further clashes are expected, according to the Los Angeles Times.
Over the weekend, demonstrators have burned cars, thrown stones, and looted stores. The security forces have responded with tear gas, pepper spray, and rubber bullets.
Dozens of people have been arrested in Los Angeles and in similar protests in San Francisco.
It is the first time since the 1960s that a sitting president has bypassed a state governor and ordered in the National Guard.
