President Trump announced Thursday that he has called off a plan to deploy federal agents to San Francisco, following a conversation with Mayor Daniel Lurie.
In a statement on Truth Social, Mr. Trump said prominent tech company bosses had also contacted him Wednesday urging him not to go forward with a so-called “surge” operation set for Saturday, saying the city was making “substantial progress.”
“I spoke to Mayor Lurie last night and he asked, very nicely, that I give him a chance to see if he can turn it around,” the president said.
“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.’ Therefore, we will not surge San Francisco on Saturday. Stay tuned!” Trump said in conclusion, mentioning Huang, the CEO of chipmaker Nvidia and Benioff, the CEO and co-founder of Salesforce.
Two Department of Homeland Security officials also told CBS News Thursday afternoon that the planned Border Patrol operation in San Francisco had been cancelled.
Lurie said in a separate statement Thursday that he had received a call from the president late Wednesday night.
“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,” Lurie said. “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.”
The mayor added, “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.”
At a news conference Thursday afternoon, Lurie noted recently released crime statistics which showed significant declines.
“Today, in San Francisco, crime is down nearly 30% citywide. And violent crime is at its lowest levels since the 1950s. Car break-ins are at 22-year lows and homicides are on track to hit 70-year lows,” the mayor said. “Our new approach is delivering results.”
Lurie also revealed that he spoke with Attorney General Pam Bondi on Thursday, in addition to Noem, and received assurances in tackling the fentanyl crisis.
“She echoed her willingness to our local law enforcement to combat fentanyl and hold drug traffickers responsible,” Lurie said.
Benioff sparked controversy earlier this month in an interview with the New York Times, urging Trump to deploy the National Guard to the city to address public safety. The comments were made ahead of the company’s annual Dreamforce convention in San Francisco.
Following pushback from city officials and after saying the conference was successful, Benioff apologized for his comments.
Gov. Gavin Newsom voiced support for Mr. Trump’s last-minute change of plan.
“Trump has finally, for once, listened to reason – and heard what we have been saying from the beginning,” said Newsom, who once served as San Francisco’s mayor himself. “The Bay Area is a shining example of what makes California so special, and any attempt to erode our progress would damage the work we’ve done.”
Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi praised the mayor in her statement.
“Mayor Daniel Lurie has demonstrated exceptional leadership in his steadfast commitment to the safety and well-being of San Franciscans,” Pelosi said. “He has underscored that public safety must be driven by local priorities, respectful of our values and communities.”
The announcement came on the same day Border Patrol agents were expected to arrive at Coast Guard Island in Alameda as the Trump administration’s nationwide immigration crackdown was set to expand to the Bay Area.
