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

The high-profile Democratic governors of Illinois, Minnesota and New York are defending their states' immigration policies in a Republican-led House Oversight Committee on Thursday -- weighing in on the ongoing Los Angeles protests over immigration enforcement.

"No one signs up to join the United States Marine Corps to attack protesters," U.S. Rep. Seth Moulton, D-6th District, a former Marine, told MSNBC on Sunday.