President Donald Trump is putting plans to deploy the National Guard to San Francisco on hold — at least for now.
President Trump said he made the decision after receiving calls from “friends” in the Bay Area who told him the city’s mayor is making “substantial progress” in addressing crime.
Mayor Daniel Lurie — a longtime philanthropist and heir to the Levi Strauss & Co. fortune — was sworn into office at the start of 2025.
Lurie said he told the president that “San Francisco is on the rise. Visitors are coming back, buildings are getting leased and purchased, and workers are coming back to the office.”
Trump said he still believes Lurie is making a mistake by declining federal law enforcement assistance “because we can do it much faster, and remove the criminals that the Law does not permit him to remove.” However, the president said he will give the mayor a “shot” at tackling the issue.
Lurie acknowledged that San Francisco continues to face challenges involving crime, drug use and homelessness, but noted work is being done to address the issues.
“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,” he said. “We appreciate that the president understands that we are the global hub for technology, and when San Francisco is strong, our country is strong.”
President Trump has faced legal challenges over previous attempts to deploy the National Guard to assist local law enforcement in Democrat-led cities. Ongoing cases involving Portland and Chicago could ultimately reach the U.S. Supreme Court, which may have to decide whether a president has the authority to send troops for local crime-fighting efforts.
