A U.S. appeals court on Thursday allowed President Donald Trump to maintain his deployment of National Guard troops in Los Angeles amid protests over stepped-up immigration enforcement, temporarily pausing a lower court's ruling blocking the mobilization.

As the military presence ramped up in Los Angeles, communities are preparing for the largest protests against Trump since he took office.

Nationwide protests against President Trump’s crackdown on immigration are putting Democrats in tricky political territory ahead of the high-stakes midterms. After demonstrations against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids roiled Los Angeles and prompted Trump to call in the National Guard despite California’s objections,