The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced on Wednesday, October 22nd, that federal agents will be dispatched to San Francisco to carry out immigration enforcement operations.
A DHS spokesperson told The Epoch Times, “The goal of the Department of Homeland Security is to combat the most serious criminal illegal immigrants, including murderers, rapists, gang members, pedophiles, and terrorists. Enforcement actions will cover cities such as Portland, Chicago, Memphis, and San Francisco. The enforcement division of DHS is enforcing U.S. laws on a daily basis.”
The spokesperson did not specify when the agents would be deployed to San Francisco.
President Trump stated during an interview on Fox News on Sunday, October 19th, that San Francisco would be the next city for federal immigration enforcement actions.
Trump said, “Next, we will go to San Francisco. The difference is, I think they want us to go to San Francisco. San Francisco used to be one of the greatest cities in the world. We will make it great again. San Francisco is a great city, but it won’t be great if it continues like this.”
The federal government’s decision to launch immigration enforcement operations in San Francisco comes just a few months before the National Football League’s 60th Super Bowl LX is held in Santa Clara, California, near San Francisco.
Starting in June, the DHS began extensive immigration enforcement operations in Los Angeles. These actions sparked protests in the area, quickly escalating into riots. To address the situation, Trump approved the deployment of 2,000 National Guard members to Los Angeles on June 9th and sent 700 Marines the next day.
As of Wednesday, Trump has sent National Guard members to Washington D.C., Chicago in Illinois, Portland in Oregon, and Memphis in Tennessee to assist with illegal immigration and violent crime issues.
San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie stated on Monday, October 20th that deploying the National Guard to San Francisco would not help solve the city’s ongoing issues.
The mayor said in a statement, “I appreciate the service of military personnel to the country, but the National Guard does not have the authority to arrest drug dealers – sending them to San Francisco will not help clear fentanyl from the streets, nor will it make the city safer.”
San Francisco Police Chief Bill Scott reported in January of this year that the city’s crime rate had dropped to its lowest in 23 years, with double-digit decreases in both violent and property crimes compared to 2023.
According to a January review by the California Public Policy Institute, property crime rates in the San Francisco Bay Area were the highest in California in 2023, with 3,167 cases per 100,000 residents.
According to data from the Major Cities Chiefs Association, overall violent crime in California’s major cities decreased by 12.5% in 2024 compared to the previous year, with Oakland and San Francisco reporting the largest reductions.
Compared to the same period last year, Oakland saw a 30% decrease in violent crime rates, while San Francisco experienced a 22% decrease.
Governor Newsom stated that through collaboration with local law enforcement agencies and community organizations, San Francisco has seen a decrease in crime rates, and the state government will continue to focus on public safety.
During the Biden administration in 2024, ICE officers arrested 26 illegal immigrants in San Francisco on charges related to murder, manslaughter, and child abuse. This operation was part of a nationwide enforcement action from January 16th to 28th of the same year.