It’s unclear if or how the National Guard might be involved, but apparently a large contingent of federal agents, including US Customs and Border Protection personnel, is headed to the Bay Area on Thursday for some sort of operation.

The gross and fascistic political theater of the Trump administration continues, and as we’ve been warned over the course of the last week, San Francisco is now squarely in Trump’s sights. We’ve been waiting for the shoe to drop, and it is now coming in the form of a Chronicle exclusive about some kind of new immigration operation set for tomorrow (Thursday, October 23), in which around 100 federal agents have been dispatched to Coast Guard Base Alameda.  

The paper’s anonymous source says that the operation includes agents from US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) — so, we might be looking at another piece of theater akin to the one that happened in early July in Los Angeles’ MacArthur Park. In that entirely pointless “operation,” the National Guard stood guard around the park while a contingent of Border Patrol agents rode through the park — which is in a heavily Latino neighborhood — on horseback.

Gregory Bovino, a CBP chief in Southern California and a clear Trump ally, led that operation, and gave an ominous statement to a strategically placed Fox News crew that day, saying, “Better get used to us now, cause this is going to be normal very soon.”

That military-style action was central to the case brought by the state of California against the administration about the illegality of using federal agents for local enforcement. An appeal of that case, in which a district court ruled against Trump and his goons, was being heard by a Ninth Circuit panel in Los Angeles today.

Meanwhile, as CNN reports, a group of 26 former governors filed a brief today with the Ninth Circuit asking the court to rehear the case concerning the National Guard deployment in Portland, which was decided in a 2-1 decision in favor of the Trump administration earlier this week. The appeals court has the option of rehearing the case en banc, which would mean a hearing by the chief judge of the court and 10 other randomly selected active judges. The two judges who ruled in favor of the Trump administration were both Trump appointees, while a dissenting opinion was filed by an appointee of President Bill Clinton.

Also today, Governor Gavin Newsom announced he was deploying the National Guard in California on a humanitarian effort, to support local food banks amid a potential hunger crisis during the federal government shutdown.

The Chronicle’s report on Thursday’s operation is short on details, however one correction that was already made could be telling: An earlier version of the report indicated that ICE agents would be involved, but that detail has since been removed.

KTVU says that it spoke with Congresswoman Lateefah Simon who confirmed that federal agents are bing deployed here.

U.S. Border Patrol and protesters clash after a raid was conducted by Immigration and Customs Enforcement near a Home Depot on June 7, 2025 in Paramount, California. Around 30 agents wearing tactical gear were stationed near a Home Depot in Paramount and faced off against protesters, south of downtown Los Angeles. (Photo by Apu Gomes/Getty Images)

The appearance of CBP agents in military gear in Los Angeles in early June provoked a reaction from protesters there. And even though an active protest is not ongoing in San Francisco, the very presence of federal agents could poke the bear, so to speak, and that is almost certainly what the Trump administration is hoping for.

In response to the Chronicle’s report about Thursday’s operation, Newsom tweeted, “California has seen enough. President Trump and Stephen Miller’s authoritarian playbook is coming for another of our cities, and violence and vandalism are exactly what they’re looking for to invoke chaos. Help keep yourself and your communities safe. Remain peaceful.”

The City of Alameda has put out a statement, saying that its police will not be involved in the federal operation, and urging caution when protesting.

“Everyone has the right to peacefully protest, but we urge people to avoid direct interaction with federal law enforcement,” the city said.

San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie held an emergency press conference Wednesday afternoon to address the matter, saying, “If federal officials come to incite chaos on the streets of San Francisco, the way to support our communities, and keep everyone in our city safe, is to make our voices heard peacefully. Violence and destruction will only open the door to a more aggressive response, and that puts our communities at greater risk.”

Lurie added, “This federal administration wants to divide us. But we know San Francisco is strongest when we come together to stand up for each other and our values. … I’ve got your back, let’s have each other’s back and keep out city safe. We got this.”

Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee has put out a statement, saying, “Oakland remains a proud sanctuary city committed to standing with our immigrant families, and we are actively monitoring this situation and are in touch with our state and federal delegation. We will notify our community with as much information as possible about any federal deployment. Real public safety comes from Oakland-based solutions, not federal military occupation.”

The Coast Guard has confirmed to the Chronicle that their base will be used as a “place of operations” for CBP, and a spokesperson says that “Through a whole of government approach, we are leveraging our unique authorities and capabilities to detect, deter, and interdict illegal aliens, narco-terrorists, and individuals intent on terrorism or other hostile activity before they reach our border.”

On Sunday, President Trump tripled down on his threats to invade San Francisco or otherwise “go to San Francisco” as he put it, adding, “Don’t forget I can use the Insurrection Act… And that’s unquestioned power. I choose not to, but I’m met constantly by fake politicians, politicians that think that they — you know, it’s not a part of the radical left movement to have safety. … These cities have to be safe.”

Possibly based on his hearing about Salesforce CEO Mark Benioff’s comments last week about welcoming the National Guard in SF, Trump has now twice said that “they want us in San Francisco,” which has prompted a chorus of responses from local leaders saying “Oh hell no we don’t.”

And while Trump’s threats about the National Guard have generally been about fighting crime, this operation on Thursday appears to be focused on immigration.

On Wednesday, the US military struck a purported drug boat in international waters in the Pacific — the first such operation in the Pacific, after multiple similar strikes on small boats in the Caribbean. The boat was reportedly traveling along a known drug-trade route, in waters off the coast of Colombia.

This is a developing story, and has already been updated throughout.

Top image: U.S. Border Patrol and protesters clash after a raid was conducted by Immigration and Customs Enforcement near a Home Depot on June 7, 2025 in Paramount, California. Around 30 agents wearing tactical gear were stationed near a Home Depot in Paramount and faced off against protesters, south of downtown Los Angeles. (Photo by Apu Gomes/Getty Images)