“San Francisco is and will remain a Sanctuary City and our commitment to immigrant communities is unwavering.” – Supervisor Fielder
SAN FRANCISCO — As the Trump administration backed away from plans to send federal forces into San Francisco and the Bay Area, some local leaders and activists are questioning whether the city gave up too much to avert the deployment.
Critics say Mayor Daniel Lurie’s statement welcoming continued partnerships with agencies like the FBI, DEA, ATF, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office went too far — signaling a willingness to cooperate with federal law enforcement under a president who has repeatedly weaponized those institutions for political purposes.
Supervisor Fielder, whose district includes many immigrant-heavy neighborhoods, said she remains deeply concerned about what the administration still intends.
“ICE, CBP, and any federal agency deputized by Trump to help him carry out his mass deportation plans are absolutely not welcome in San District 9 or in San Francisco,” Fielder said.
Fielder said it was unclear from the mayor’s office which federal agencies were being held back or whether they might simply be redeployed elsewhere in the Bay Area. “Customs & Border Patrol already unleashed tear gas and stun grenades on faith leaders this morning in Alameda, in an abhorrent abuse of power by Trump,” she said.
She also pushed back strongly on the mayor’s tone of cooperation with certain federal law enforcement agencies.
“I remain concerned that the Mayor’s statement today included that he would ‘welcome continued partnerships with the FBI, DEA, ATF, and the U.S. Attorney,’” Fielder said. “Trump will continue to label more people as ‘criminals’ to justify deporting them. That is why welcoming ATF, FBI, DEA under Pam Bondi is a dangerous invitation to a fascist administration.”
Fielder urged calm and solidarity but warned residents to stay alert. “It is important for all of us to remain calm, informed, and ready to support one another. This is a moment to spread power, not panic,” she said. “San Francisco is and will remain a Sanctuary City and our commitment to immigrant communities is unwavering.”
The debate followed several tense days of mass mobilizations, led by Bay Resistance and other grassroots coalitions. The group said collective pressure from the Bay Area forced the Trump administration to back down.
“With people power we shut down Trump’s federal invasion plans,” Bay Resistance said in a statement. “The Bay Area belongs to us — not to the billionaires, bigots and bullies.”
The group said tens of thousands of residents took to the streets, organized watch patrols, and stayed ready to “blow the whistle on ICE, CBP and other immigration enforcement forces.”
Its statement celebrated the withdrawal but cautioned that immigration enforcement remained active in the region.
“Immigration enforcement forces are still in the Bay and have been here, kidnapping hardworking people from their homes and from the courtrooms while they go through the asylum process,” Bay Resistance said. “We will continue to mobilize to free the Bay.”
Mayor Lurie confirmed late Thursday that President Trump had personally called to inform him that any planned federal deployment in San Francisco was being called off.
“Having the military and militarized immigration enforcement in our city will hinder our recovery,” Lurie said. “We appreciate that the president understands that we are the global hub for technology, and when San Francisco is strong, our country is strong.”
According to Lurie, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem reaffirmed the directive Friday morning.
He thanked San Franciscans for remaining “united behind the goal of public safety” and said the city’s “values have been on full display.”
But many organizers believe the mayor’s cooperation with other federal agencies, particularly under Trump’s appointees, could open new risks.
Bay Resistance criticized what it described as a “dangerous willingness to compromise with fascism” while immigrant families still face raids and detentions.
In his prepared remarks to residents, Lurie said the city had anticipated the possibility of a federal escalation for months and had made contingency plans.
“Our communities have already endured the painful impact of aggressive immigration enforcement,” he said. “We have been taking steps to prepare for this kind of escalation here in San Francisco. And I want to be very clear: We are prepared.”
The mayor said local law enforcement would remain focused on protecting residents and would not assist in civil immigration enforcement. “Sending the military to San Francisco will NOT help our city or our country,” he said.
Lurie called on residents to keep protests peaceful. “Violence and destruction will only open the door to a more aggressive response,” he said. “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.”
In recent days, the city has seen massive demonstrations, including the “No Kings” rally that drew more than 100,000 people downtown and millions nationwide. Protesters denounced what they called “Trump’s attempt to rule like a monarch.”
The ACLU of Northern California also condemned the administration’s tactics.
“This is a flagrant abuse of power intended to instill fear, target his political opponents, and silence anyone who does not agree with him,” said Abdi Soltani, executive director of the ACLU. “The Trump administration’s federal deployment of ICE, Border Patrol, and National Guard troops into our local communities threatens civil rights and chills dissent.”
The ACLU noted that Trump has largely deployed the National Guard only to Democratic-majority cities, including Los Angeles, Washington, D.C., Chicago, Memphis, and Portland. The group urged residents to remain informed, know their protest rights, and continue to raise their voices peacefully.
“San Francisco will never stand by as our neighbors are targeted, and neither will I,” Lurie said. “We got this.”
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Categories: Breaking News Civil Rights Opinion San Francisco Tags: Abdi Soltani ACLU of Northern California Bay Resistance Daniel Lurie FBI Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem Mayor Daniel Lurie National Guard San Francisco Supervisor Fielder Trump Administration