The US president has said the agents will only protect federal properties

US President Donald Trump has ordered the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to stay away from protests in Democrat-run cities amid nationwide demonstrations against US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

The "National Shutdown" was called on Friday, with organizers urging Americans to abstain from work, school, and shopping in a mass strike aimed at pressuring the government to end immigration raids. In Los Angeles, the demonstration escalated into clashes with police and federal agents, with protesters taking over an ICE facility. A similar incident was reported in Eugene, Oregon, where demonstrators breached a federal building and refused to leave.

In a post on Truth Social on Saturday, Trump said he had "instructed Secretary of Homeland Security, Kristi Noem, that under no circumstances are we going to participate in various poorly run Democrat Cities with regard to their Protests and/or Riots unless, and until, they ask us for help."

"We will, however, guard, and very powerfully so, any and all Federal Buildings that are being attacked... I have instructed ICE and/or Border Patrol to be very forceful in this protection of Federal Government Property," he added.

Trump also argued that the primary responsibility for protecting both local and federal assets lies with state authorities, saying the federal government would step in only as a backup.

"If local governments are unable to handle the Insurrectionists, Agitators, and Anarchists, we will immediately go to the location where such help is requested and take care of the situation very easily and methodically," he said, warning that federal agencies - and "if necessary, our Military" - would respond forcefully if federal property is threatened.

The latest wave of protests was fuelled by growing outrage over the fatal shootings of two US citizens, Renee Good and Alex Pretti, by federal agents during recent enforcement operations in Minneapolis.

Earlier this week, US House Democrats called for Noem's removal, arguing that the violence "must end forthwith." Trump defended the DHS chief, saying she is only being targeted because she "has done a really GREAT JOB."