President Donald Trump on Tuesday claimed Los Angeles “would be burning” if he opted not to deploy the National Guard to the city, a move challenged by California officials, as hundreds of troops are reportedly expected to arrive in the area soon in response to anti-immigration protests.

In a sharp escalation, the Trump administration doubled its initial National Guard deployment to Los Angeles on Monday night, pushing the number of assigned military personnel to 4,800 — about 4,100 Guard troops and 700 Marines.