In a confusing turn of events, San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie says he had a phone call with President Trump Wednesday night, and the president said he was calling off any federal deployment in the city. But does that mean federal agents will focus on Oakland or another locale?
Lurie tweeted Thursday morning about a phone call he had with the president in which he, apparently, convinced Trump to call off any deployment of federal agents or National Guard troops in the city of San Francisco. Or, maybe, Trump called to say he had already decided not to deploy agents or troops to San Francisco, when there is nothing going on here at the moment.
Because Trump has lied before to Governor Gavin Newsom in a similar circumstance in Los Angeles, we should take this with a grain a salt — and we have to wonder if this means the deployment of agents to Coast Guard Island today will instead be used for immigration operations in the East Bay.
Also, Trump could simply be waiting for circumstances on the ground to change, so that he can say, "See, now we have to go in with troops," if he doesn't like what he sees.
Yesterday, I spoke to San Franciscans about a potential federal deployment in our city. I said then what I have said since taking office, that keeping San Franciscans safe is my top priority.
— Daniel Lurie 丹尼爾·羅偉 (@DanielLurie) October 23, 2025
Late last night, I received a phone call from the President of the United States. I…
Lurie says that he confirmed Thursday morning with Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem that a federal deployment in San Francisco was called off — but he added "our city remains prepared for any scenario."
Trump has been mentioning San Francisco and threatening to "go in" to the city for several weeks, repeatedly saying that the city is a "disaster" and implying that federal intervention could help fight crime here. These comments did not relate to immigration, and the reported deployment of 100 US Customs and Border Protection agents to Coast Guard Base Alameda today was for alleged immigration crackdown activities, which may still be ongoing.
Protests are likely to be ongoing Thursday, and one was already taking place Thursday morning along Oakland's Embarcadero at the entrance to Coast Guard Island, which is in the Oakland Estuary. Video and accounts from that scene indicated that federal agents were still arriving on the island this morning.
Here's Lurie's statement in full:
"Late last night, I received a phone call from the President of the United States. I told him the same thing I told our residents: San Francisco is on the rise. Visitors are coming back, buildings are getting leased and purchased, and workers are coming back to the office. We have work to do, and we would welcome continued partnerships with the FBI, DEA, ATF, and U.S. Attorney to get drugs and drug dealers off our streets, but having the military and militarized immigration enforcement in our city will hinder our recovery. We appreciate that the president understands that we are the global hub for technology, and when San Francisco is strong, our country is strong.
“In that conversation, the president told me clearly that he was calling off any plans for a federal deployment in San Francisco. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem reaffirmed that direction in our conversation this morning.
“My team will continue to monitor the situation closely, and our city remains prepared for any scenario.
“I am profoundly grateful to all the San Franciscans who came together over the last several days. Our city leaders have been united behind the goal of public safety. And our values have been on full display — this is the best of our city.”
Update: Trump confirms the gist of his conversation with Lurie in a post on Truth Social, saying he's giving Lurie a "chance" to turn things around in the city. And he said he was told by "friend" Marc Benioff that the "future of San Francisco is great." But in a subsequent White House press conference, Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said, "We will continue to watch San Francisco."
Previously: Trump's Federal Invasion of San Francisco to Begin on Thursday
Top image: U.S. President Donald Trump speaks as Federal Bureau of Investigation Director Kash Patel (L) and U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi look on during a press conference in the Oval Office of the White House on October 15, 2025 in Washington, DC. Trump and Patel provided an update on the Trump administration’s progress in reducing violent crime. (Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
