A spokeswoman for the Department of Homeland Security, Tricia McLaughlin, indicated on Wednesday that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents might be dispatched to San Francisco soon.
“There is no safe haven in America, whether it’s Los Angeles, Chicago, New York, or San Francisco,” she remarked during an interview with NewsNation’s “The Hill.”
McLaughlin mentioned that ICE officers are already present in San Francisco, asserting that “it’s not a change in attitude.”
She suggested that an “enhanced presence” could be expected in San Francisco and in other sanctuary cities.
When questioned about ICE activities in the Bay Area, she noted, “I can’t get too far ahead of ICE operations.” She also emphasized that California Governor Gavin Newsom “needs to be very careful when it comes to elections.”
According to McLaughlin, “A lot of people in Los Angeles and San Francisco are not happy with his governance, whether it’s the wildfires or the crime that’s happening in San Francisco.”
In response, Newsom stated on Wednesday evening that he would take legal action if federal agents were sent to San Francisco. The Trump administration had previously declared plans to send 100 personnel from U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the Coast Guard Station in Alameda.
“We’re going to fight hard and we’re focused on the response,” Newsom said at a press conference. “Literally, this is a lawsuit I would file within a nanosecond of any effort to send troops into San Francisco, one of America’s largest cities.”
Reports suggest immigration officials are set to arrive on Thursday.
Over the weekend, President Trump announced plans to send federal agents to San Francisco, stating in an interview, “We’re going to make San Francisco great.”
State officials are reportedly working to reduce crime rates in the city, requesting assistance from the California Highway Patrol, which operates in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Meanwhile, Mayor Daniel Lurie (D) noted, “Violent crime in San Francisco has fallen to levels not seen since the 1950s. Encampment numbers are at record lows. San Francisco is turning a corner on public safety,” as expressed in a social media post.
