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.

The streets of Los Angeles are calmer today after a weekend of ICE raids, protests, police actions and Donald Trump’s federalization of the California National Guard over the objections of Gov. Gavin Newsom.