The Trump administration was set to face a significant legal challenge on Thursday to its extraordinary use of the military to respond to protests against immigration raids in Los Angeles, as more troops prepared to mobilise there and demonstrations across the country showed no sign of slowing.

Police officers on foot and on horseback fired flash bangs and foam bullets to disperse a large protest in downtown Los Angeles on Wednesday before a curfew took effect for a second night. Officers later fired foam bullets at dozens of protesters who continued to march in Koreatown, outside the area covered by the curfew.

On Thursday afternoon, a federal judge in California will hear the state’s request to limit the National Guard and Marines deployed by President Trump in Los Angeles to protecting federal buildings. National Guard troops have accompanied federal agents on immigration enforcement raids since Trump deployed them last week against state officials’ advice. The justice department argues that California’s move is an attempt to restrict the President’s power.

As the case plays out, the Trump administration is proceeding with plans to put more troops on the streets of Los Angeles.

The US military’s Northern Command said that by Friday evening, roughly 700 Marines are expected to join 2,100 National Guard troops that have been guarding federal property and personnel in the city. The commander overseeing the military operations in Los Angeles told reporters on Wednesday that the Marines were at a naval base south of the city, and that 2,000 additional Guard troops would begin training on Thursday afternoon.

Demonstrations against immigration raids were planned in several cities on Thursday, including Los Angeles, New York, Chicago and Madison, Wis. Hundreds of people have been arrested across the country since the protests began in Los Angeles last week.

The police in Las Vegas, Seattle and Spokane, Wash., also cleared protests on Wednesday night that centered on federal buildings with immigration enforcement facilities. In Spokane, the mayor declared a snap curfew and officers arrested 30 people after protesters tried to prevent an Immigration and Customs Enforcement vehicle from transporting detainees, officials said.

Protests in other cities, including New York and St. Louis, ended with little sign of confrontation.