San Francisco mayor has public safety group planning for possible National Guard presence
By Jose Fabian
San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie on Tuesday said he created a public safety group that is planning a response if National Guard troops are sent to the city.
Lurie spoke about the group after Supervisor Jackie Fielder was allowed to ask him an unscheduled question during his appearance at the Board of Supervisors meeting.
“What is your administration doing in the coming days and weeks–more specifically, what direction has he given to relevant governmental units and departments in the executive branch in the City and County–to prepare our city in protecting the civil liberties and rights of our residents and, especially, immigrants and people of color in the event that Donald Trump sends militarized federal forces, including the National Guard, to San Francisco,” Fielder asked.
The group is made up of representatives from the city attorney and “other affected department heads,” Lurie explained, and he said the group meets regularly to coordinate a policy response.
He said he has been planning for possible federal intervention since Day 1 as part of his promise to keep San Francisco safe through any scenario, and added that he is “fully committed” to following policies that prohibit local law enforcement from working with immigration enforcement and military operations.
What the public safety group’s coordinated response would look like was not mentioned during the meeting.
Lurie has increasingly had to respond to questions about possible federal intervention since Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff expressed support for a National Guard deployment, something he later retracted, and President Trump’s statement that troops would be sent to San Francisco to make it “great again.”
In his responses, Lurie normally avoided mentioning federal intervention, instead speaking about the city’s drop in crime, such as 70-year lows in homicides, and saying local law enforcement had it under control.
But on Monday, he released a statement saying the city would not benefit from a National Guard presence.
“I am deeply grateful to the members of our military for their service to our country, but the National Guard does not have the authority to arrest drug dealers—and sending them to San Francisco will do nothing to get fentanyl off the streets or make our city safer,” Lurie said.
As for Fielder on Tuesday, she said she was hoping to have more concrete information about the city’s plans.
“The moment demands much more. I hope he can soon speak about how the departments under his leadership will communicate Know-Your-Rights information to our immigrant community, support children whose parents might be detained or deported, and continue to guarantee all San Franciscans access to basic necessities such as schooling, healthcare, groceries, and transportation,” Fielder said.
According to City Attorney David Chiu, his office is prepared to take legal action should Mr. Trump send the National Guard.
“Should President Trump make good on his ridiculous threats to send the military to San Francisco, our city is prepared, and my office is prepared to take the necessary legal action to defend San Francisco,” Chiu said.
