As word spread among Catholics that immigration agents were visiting places of worship to carry out deportations, the pews inside the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels Catholic Church in downtown Los Angeles became less and less crowded.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom ripped into President Donald Trump in response to video footage that showed federal immigration agents firing tear gas and pepper bullets at children.

ICE and National Guard raid California pot farms, detain workers, sparking protests and concerns over deportation policy. Follow Newsweek's live blog.

When Mr Trump took office, there was a long list of obstacles that made mass deportations unlikely. There weren’t enough ICE agents, detention beds or airplanes to arrest people, then house and return them.

An ICE spokesperson told CBS New York the masks are optional but that "ICE law enforcement and their families are being targeted and are facing a 500% increase in assaults ... due to the demonization of ICE by hostile groups and irresponsible elected officials."