Los Angeles residents and experts say that the National Guard's presence in Los Angeles in response to immigration protests is reminiscent of a longstanding dynamic in the state and around the country.

For months during the 2024 campaign, Donald Trump promised to use the military domestically. His campaign telegraphed it via news coverage and reports from friendly nonprofits; Trump mused about using soldiers against protests.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said President Trump called in the National Guard with the expectation that it would "hopefully prevent and deter some of this violence.”