Trump calls off "surge" of federal agents into San Francisco
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President Trump has called off sending federal agents to San Francisco after an eleventh-hour call with Mayor Daniel Lurie, but the presence of agents in neighboring Alameda hasn't diminished fears, community leaders tell Axios.
Why it matters: Reports of the deployment had sent ripples of alarm across the city and paved the way for a potentially unprecedented immigration enforcement operation.
Driving the news: The president said in a Truth Social post Thursday that "friends of mine who live in the area" asked him not to go through with a "surge" into SF that was planned for Saturday.
- Lurie said at a press conference Thursday that he told Trump San Francisco would welcome continued partnerships with federal agencies to "get drugs and dealers off our streets, but having the military and militarized immigration enforcement in our city will hinder our recovery."
- Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem reaffirmed Thursday morning that a federal deployment would not be happening, according to Lurie.
- Lurie also spoke with Attorney General Pam Bondi, who he said agreed to help partner with local law enforcement to "combat fentanyl and hold drug traffickers accountable."
What they're saying: "Great people like Jensen Huang, Marc Benioff, and others have called saying that the future of San Francisco is great. They want to give it a 'shot,'" Trump added in his post. "Therefore, we will not surge San Francisco on Saturday."
Yes, but: There's still concern that other parts of the Bay Area — such as Oakland — are at risk since federal agents have already arrived at the U.S. Coast Guard Base in Alameda, Anya Worley-Ziegmann of the People's Budget Coalition, an alliance of community groups, tells Axios.
- It remains unclear "what specific agencies are being held back from coming to San Francisco — ICE, the National Guard, CBP, etc.—or whether they will be deployed to areas outside San Francisco," Supervisor Jackie Fielder echoed in a statement.
- "Anything in the bay affects all of us and our economy," Susana Rojas, executive director of the Calle 24 Latino Cultural District, told Axios via text.
What we're watching: Protesters attempted to block U.S. Border Patrol agents from entering the Coast Guard base early Thursday morning, the San Francisco Chronicle reports.
- The confrontation got heated as federal agents used apparent flash-bang grenades to disperse the crowd, per the Chronicle.
- Bay Resistance is organizing community patrols and vigils at local public libraries in addition to immigration courts this weekend.
- Lurie said his team will continue to monitor the situation, noting that "we have a plan in place that can be activated at any moment, but ... it is my sincere hope that we never have to put that planning into action."
The big picture: Lurie signed an executive directive Wednesday ordering local police and officials to support immigrants and protect protesters ahead of the federal agents' expected arrival.
- Meanwhile, officials in Santa Clara County and San Jose have taken steps to legally bar immigration operations on county- and city-owned lands, something community activists say other jurisdictions should consider.
- Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi also indicated that local police can arrest federal agents if they break state law during immigration raids.
Editor's note: This story has been updated with additional comments from community leaders.