California Gov. Gavin Newsom said President Donald Trump is “pulling a military dragnet” across Los Angeles during a brief public address on Tuesday.

President Trump’s assertions that federal troops have saved the city from destruction did not appear to reflect reality.

Trump claims the troops are quelling protests. But California officials fear their real mission is bigger: militarizing mass deportation.

It's been five days since anti-ICE demonstrations erupted in Los Angeles, some turning violent between protesters and law enforcement officers, prompting President Trump to deploy National Guard troops and hundreds of Marines.

4:47 p.m. EDT The Trump administration asked the judge to reject Newsom’s request and allow it to respond by Wednesday, calling Newsom’s attempt to block the deployment of federal troops “legally meritless” and saying it would jeopardize the safety of Homeland Security personnel and interfere with the government’s ability to carry out operations.

The Guard’s arrival marks a potentially volatile phase in Trump’s push to ramp up deportations and in his contentious relationship with state and local authorities.

U.S. military troops deployed to Los Angeles are allowed to temporarily detain individuals until law enforcement agents arrive to arrest them, a senior U.S. military official said on Wednesday. Major General Scott Sherman,