Donald Trump has canceled plans to send federal troops and immigration agents to San Francisco after widespread protests and urgent appeals from local and state leaders.
San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie confirmed the reversal on Wednesday night, saying he spoke directly with the president about the planned federal operation.
“In that conversation, the president told me clearly that he was calling off any plans for a federal deployment in San Francisco,” Lurie said in a statement obtained by The Daily National News.
Lurie said Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem reaffirmed the decision on Thursday morning, easing fears of a large-scale immigration crackdown in the Bay Area.
Reports had circulated earlier this week that dozens of federal agents were being deployed to the region, sparking major protests and a growing public outcry.
According to The Daily National News, more than 100 Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and federal officers had been staged at the US Coast Guard base in Alameda as part of a broader immigration enforcement plan.
The Coast Guard confirmed that one of its Bay Area facilities was prepared to serve as a base of operations for federal agents.
By dawn on Wednesday, several hundred protesters had gathered outside the Coast Guard Island in Alameda, chanting and carrying signs reading “No ICE or Troops in the Bay.”
Police used flash-bang grenades to disperse a handful of demonstrators blocking the entrance as CBP vehicles entered the base.
Mayor Lurie said he urged the president during their call to reconsider, emphasizing that San Francisco’s recovery was underway and that military-style enforcement would “set the city back.”
“Visitors are coming back, buildings are being leased, and workers are returning to the office,” Lurie said. “We welcome partnerships with the FBI, DEA, ATF, and U.S. Attorney to tackle drug crimes, but militarized immigration enforcement would harm our progress.”
President Trump had signaled for weeks that San Francisco could be the next Democratic-led city targeted in his administration’s immigration crackdown.
During a Fox News interview on Sunday, Trump claimed he had “unquestioned power” to deploy the National Guard and said residents “want us in San Francisco.”
It remains unclear whether the National Guard would have been directly involved in the planned operations.
California officials, including Governor Gavin Newsom, reacted strongly to reports of the possible deployment, calling the move “right out of the dictator’s handbook.”
“He sends out masked men and creates fear in communities, only to claim he’s fixing the problem,” Newsom said in a video statement. “This is no different than the arsonist putting out the fire.”
Oakland’s mayor, Barbara Lee, also criticized the plan, saying that “real public safety comes from Oakland-based solutions, not federal military occupation.”
Mayor Lurie echoed those sentiments, saying the city had been preparing for months for a potential federal operation but was determined to protect its residents.
“In cities across the country, masked immigration officials have used aggressive enforcement tactics that instill fear,” Lurie said. “We cannot allow that here.”
He urged residents to remain peaceful and not give federal authorities “an excuse” to escalate tensions.
Governor Newsom vowed to sue the administration “within nanoseconds” if federal troops were deployed in California.
California Attorney General Rob Bonta and San Francisco City Attorney David Chiu also pledged to take immediate legal action if necessary.
District Attorney Brooke Jenkins added that her office would prosecute any federal agent who violated state law during immigration operations.
Trump had previously deployed federal forces to Los Angeles, Chicago, and Portland, moves that were met with court challenges and mass protests.
In recent weeks, Trump argued that a federal operation in San Francisco was needed to combat crime, claiming residents “deserve to live without fear.”
Local leaders countered that crime in San Francisco is declining, noting that the city’s homicide rate is on track to be the lowest since 1954.
Mayor Lurie said the city remains committed to protecting immigrant communities and has taken executive actions to coordinate support across city departments.
Community organizations have mobilized to hold vigils and rallies in solidarity with immigrant residents across the Bay Area.
City supervisor Jackie Fielder said residents in the Mission District had been preparing for a potential shutdown “like the one seen during Covid.”
Experts told The Daily National News that deploying border patrol agents in urban communities could increase tensions and create confusion.
César Cuauhtémoc García Hernández, a law professor at Ohio State University, said border patrol officers are “not trained for community policing” and often use aggressive tactics inappropriate for cities.
With the deployment canceled, San Francisco leaders say they remain watchful but relieved, calling the president’s reversal “a victory for local democracy and community solidarity.”
