At the same time, the Trump administration has directed immigration officers to pause arrests at farms, restaurants and hotels, after Trump expressed alarm about the impact aggressive enforcement is having on those industries, according to a U.S. official familiar with the matter who spoke only on condition of anonymity.

Protests against President Trump's deportation policies have divided Republicans and Democrats on Capitol Hill and across the country. Senator Ted Cruz, R-Texas, praised the President's decision to deploy the National Guard in California.

US President Donald Trump on Sunday ordered law enforcement to dramatically ramp up an immigration crackdown targeting Democratic stronghold cities in a bid to "single largest mass deportation program in history.