SAN FRANCISCO – Even though President Trump called off the planned surge of federal agents in San Francisco to address crime, many in the city’s immigrant community say they remain on edge.
It was standing room only at a special hearing on immigration enforcement and San Francisco’s response efforts amid heightened concern and uncertainty in the community Monday evening at San Francisco City Hall.
“We have heard reports of people being pulled from the streets by masked agents from the federal government right off the streets,” said Mario Paz, vice chair of the Immigrant Rights Commission. “It’s creating terror and fear.”
The commission held the informative hearing to question leaders from the San Francisco Police Department, the Sheriff’s Office, the City Attorney’s Office, and the Public Defender’s Office about their protocols, coordination, and interagency communication.
“We don’t work with ICE in this arena at all, we don’t help them in any way, shape or form,” said Sheriff Paul Miyamoto.
Miyamoto said both SFPD and the Sheriff’s Office have policies in place to ensure public safety during protests and enforcement activity. He said ICE has reached out to both agencies for cooperation, but those requests are almost always declined.
“We receive ICE detainer requests, requests to keep people who are currently in our custody, to hold them for ICE on immigration warrants,” Miyamoto said. “We decline the vast majority of those.”
He said his office has only responded to two out of about 4,000 ICE detainer requests during his tenure, involving cases with felony charges and serious criminal histories. He added that ICE ultimately did not pick up those individuals.
Annie Sin, who spoke during public comment, founded the Asian American Alliance Against Racism and helps detained immigrants with pro bono legal representation.
“I tear up when I talk about this because this is America,” Sin said. “Do you know how many families have been torn apart?”
The hearing was hosted by the Immigrant Rights Commission and the Office of Civic Engagement and Immigrant Affairs. City officials urged residents to rely on verified information and trusted local organizations.
“I think what’s important for community to keep in mind is to stay informed,” said Jorge Rivas, director of the Office of Civic Engagement and Immigrant Affairs. “There’s a lot of misinformation out there, to really listen into what the leaders are saying, what the trusted community organizations are putting out there… and also go to their trusted service providers in the community for legal services.”
City leaders said the event had been in the works for about two months but took on new urgency amid reports of increased federal activity.
Miyamoto said one of the department’s biggest challenges is making sure the public can identify local officers and not mistake them for federal agents.