In response, San Francisco officials and activists gathered on Jan. 28 to address questions about immigration policy under President Donald Trump.
Officials stressed that the city would not participate in any federal immigration actions but that it also could not prevent federal law enforcement from carrying out its duties under the law.
San Francisco Police Department Chief William “Bill” Scott said that his department does not assist in immigration raids.
“More generally, the city provides services without regard to immigration status and without collecting information about immigration status, unless it’s required by state or federal law,” he told reporters. “But one thing that I will tell you is that this city and this police department remains steadfast in its commitment to being a sanctuary city.”
Scott also said that targeting illegal immigrants who have built families, businesses, and homes in the city does not improve public safety.
“It does the exact opposite,” he said. “It makes people fearful to report crimes or to obtain needed health care or city services. It makes children afraid to go to school, to the library, to the playgrounds, and that is not what we want.”
Democratic state Sen. Scott Wiener also took to social media on Jan. 27 to criticize U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) activity in San Francisco.
“Trump says he’s only targeting criminals.”
San Francisco passed the nation’s first “sanctuary city” ordinance in 1989. City law prohibits the use of local resources to assist in the enforcement of federal immigration laws, except when required by federal or state law.
At the state level, Senate Bill 54, the California Values Act, generally prohibits local and state law enforcement from participating in immigration enforcement. It’s also generally known as the “sanctuary state law.”
Local activist and artist Darren Stallcup said city leaders are overlooking the negative impacts that can come with illegal immigration.
“San Francisco is a beautiful city, but if you are here illegally and you’re taking advantage and exploiting our sanctuary city to sell fentanyl, you will be deported,” he told The Epoch Times via text.
He calls what is taking place on the streets of San Francisco a fentanyl genocide.
“An absolute humanitarian crisis,” Stallcup said.
Also on Jan. 28, Riverside County leaders in Southern California approved an ordinance that asks county staff to explore additional services and funding sources for illegal immigrants and draft a resolution to show support for non-criminal illegal immigrants, with dozens of people voicing opinions from all sides during the public comment session.
Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco stopped short of denouncing the vote but told The Epoch Times via text that “sanctuary state/city policies pose a danger to every resident of California.”
Bianco said he will do everything he can “within the confines of state law to work with ICE to keep residents safe by deporting criminals who are here illegally.”
With reports of ICE activity in San Francisco gracing headlines and on social media, at least one northern California operation has been confirmed.
ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) San Francisco arrested a Guatemalan national who was inside the United States illegally and was convicted of lewd and lascivious acts with a minor.
On Nov. 12, 2024, he was convicted of two felonies—sex with a minor and lewd acts with a minor. Velasquez-Francisco will remain in ICE custody until his removal from the United States.
“ERO officers in the San Francisco area of operations are committed to enforcing our nation’s immigration laws against violent criminals, sex offenders and others who pose a threat to public safety. This arrest is just one example highlighting the work ICE ERO officers perform each day to make our communities safer,” said Orestes Cruz, ERO San Francisco acting field office director.
Trump’s newly appointed border czar, Tom Homan, recently told EpochTV’s “American Thought Leaders” host Jan Jekielek that the administration will enforce immigration laws to remove illegal immigrants already ordered to exit the country by a federal judge.
“For every criminal we take off the streets, we make the streets safer. For every child we find in sex trafficking, it’s going to save a life. For every pound of fentanyl we seize at the border ... there’s going to be less overdose deaths in this country,” Homan said at the Jan. 19 interview.
