WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump’s administration sued Los Angeles on Monday over policies limiting city cooperation with federal immigration authorities, continuing a confrontation over the Republican’s deportation efforts in a largely Democratic city.

The lawsuit, filed by the U.S. Justice Department, alleges that policies barring city resources from aiding in immigration enforcement operations or collecting information about individual’s citizenship status violates federal law.

“We will keep enforcing federal immigration law in Los Angeles, whether or not the city’s government or residents agree with it,” Chad Mizelle, a senior Justice Department official, said on social media. “And we will not tolerate any interference with the federal government’s duty to enforce the law.”

The lawsuit comes weeks after Trump deployed California National Guard troops to quell protests in Los Angeles against deportation operations. The demonstrations were limited to a small section of the city, but included some instances of looting, property destruction and attacks on law enforcement.

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(Reporting by Jasper Ward and Andrew Goudsward; Editing by Scott Malone)