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So, what exactly is the National Guard, and why is its role now at the center of a political fight
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I want to break it down a bit for you and show you some background. The National Guard is a state-based military force with units in all 50 states, plus D.C. and U.S. territories
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They're weekend soldiers who train part-time, about one weekend a month and two weeks a year, but can be called up in emergencies
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Typically, governors activate them to help with disasters or civil unrest, not for federal law enforcement
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President Trump's recent deployments mark a major shift, using the Guard in Democratic-led cities to crack down on crime and immigration protests
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Legal experts say it pushes boundaries of the Posse Comitadas Act, which bans using the military as a police force on American soil
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The National Guard's roots date back to 1636, And over the decades, they've stood at some of the most defining moments in American history
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from escorting black students into Little Rock's Central High in 1957, to patrolling Los Angeles streets during the 1992 riots
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to delivering relief after Hurricane Katrina. Today, their mission remains the same, to protect Americans
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But it has not faced this kind of scrutiny in decades. Music
