San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie has criticized the reported deployment of federal immigration agents to the city, claiming that this operation is intended to create “chaos and violence” rather than actually address crime.
“In cities nationwide, masked immigration officers are using aggressive tactics that foster fear, making it hard for people to go about their daily lives,” Lurie said during a nine-minute video statement.
He added, “These tactics are designed to provoke backlash, chaos, and violence, serving as a pretext for military personnel deployment.”
This statement came shortly after the news of the deployment broke.
Addressing the issue from San Francisco City Hall, alongside other elected officials, Lurie warned federal authorities against using the situation as an excuse to intensify their actions in the city. He mentioned that officials are following a “strategy.”
President Trump is contemplating sending troops to San Francisco to tackle crime, although no timeline has been set by the administration.
The San Francisco Chronicle has reported that over 100 Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents are expected to arrive on Thursday at the U.S. Coast Guard base in Alameda, California, located between Oakland and San Francisco. This information comes from anonymous sources familiar with the operation.
Tricia McLaughlin, a spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security, stated in an interview on NewsNation’s “The Hill” that the agency is likely to increase its presence in San Francisco and in “one of these sanctuary cities.”
She remarked, “We have Immigration and Customs Enforcement active here,” clarifying that there isn’t a shift in approach.
When pressed about ICE’s operations in the Bay Area, she noted, “I can’t discuss ICE operations in detail.” [Trump]
California Governor Gavin Newsom has pledged to fiercely oppose any federal troop deployment. State Attorney General Rob Bonta has promised that if troops arrive in sanctuary cities, they will be “in court within hours, if not minutes.”
McLaughlin mentioned that Newsom “needs to be cautious regarding the elections.”
She added, “Many residents in Los Angeles and San Francisco are dissatisfied with how he has handled issues, whether it be the wildfires or the crime situation in San Francisco.”
