Did President Trump send the U.S. military to Los Angeles earlier this week to safeguard the city from protesters? Or is this the start of something bigger — an unprecedented push by the president to carry out mass deportations with the help of armed troops?

The Marines wearing combat gear and carrying rifles are taking over some posts from National Guard members who were deployed to the city after the protests erupted last week. Those protests sparked dozens more over several days around the country, with some leading to clashes with police and hundreds of arrests.