In a surprising turn of events, President Donald Trump announced on Thursday that he would not proceed with a military deployment to San Francisco, California, planned for the weekend.
This decision came after conversations with local residents and notable figures in the tech industry, leading to a halt of the controversial plan that had been met with increasing opposition and protests.
On his social media platform, Truth Social, Trump revealed, “The Federal Government was preparing to ‘surge’ San Francisco, California, on Saturday, but friends of mine who live in the area called last night to ask me not to go forward with the surge.”
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang and Salesforce co-founder Marc Benioff played roles in influencing his decision, as did a conversation with San Francisco’s mayor, centrist Democrat Daniel Lurie.
However, Trump hinted that this may not be the end of the matter.
“He asked, very nicely, that I give him a chance to see if he can turn it around,” Trump said of Mayor Lurie.
The President remained skeptical, stating, “I told him I think he is making a mistake, because we can do it much faster, and remove the criminals that the Law does not permit him to remove.”
In recent months, the Trump administration had ramped up its efforts on immigration enforcement, resulting in criticism and concerns regarding potential human rights violations.
The deployment of the National Guard to various cities had sparked protests, particularly among those advocating for immigrant rights.
California Governor Gavin Newsom, along with other state officials and community leaders, had openly criticized the military interventions, arguing they exacerbate tensions rather than alleviating them.
Mayor Lurie, a vocal opponent of the federal tactics, held a news conference earlier in the week, urging unity among San Francisco residents against what he described as “cruel, un-American tactics.”
He emphasized that local law enforcement would not assist federal forces in carrying out immigration raids, asserting, “San Francisco will never stand by as our neighbours are targeted, and neither will I.”
The potential deployment raised legal concerns, with California officials warning of possible lawsuits against the federal government based on the Posse Comitatus Act, which restricts the use of federal troops for civilian law enforcement.
Governor Newsom described Trump’s tactics as indicative of a “wannabe tyrant,” insisting that the deployment of troops without valid justification and oversight undermines state sovereignty and the rule of law.
Despite widespread opposition, Trump continued to send National Guard troops into cities facing significant protests, including Los Angeles earlier this year, where he deployed approximately 4,000 National Guard members amidst ongoing unrest surrounding immigration policy.
Those protests highlighted the public’s frustration with the administration’s approach to immigration enforcement, leading to further legal entanglements.
Following the deployment in Los Angeles, Trump expanded his military presence to other cities, including Chicago and Portland, even as local leaders pushed back against federal intervention.
Trump defended these actions, arguing that they contributed to a decline in crime rates in cities such as Washington, DC, and Memphis, Tennessee.
San Francisco has consistently been a target for Trump and other Republicans, characterized as a Democratic stronghold that has fallen into decline.
In recent speeches, Trump criticized the city’s leadership, attributing its problems to a shift towards progressive policies.
“We’re going to go in San Francisco,” Trump stated during an October interview, suggesting a need to restore order in a city he claimed had gone “woke.”
Marc Benioff, a supporter of Trump, earlier indicated that he would welcome the National Guard in San Francisco, but subsequently faced backlash from city officials and citizens.
After reflecting on the responses to his comments, which included backlash from performers scheduled to appear at his tech conference, Benioff apologized.
He later clarified, “I do not believe the National Guard is needed to address safety in San Francisco,” retracting his previous statement.
Protests had already begun outside the US Coast Guard facility in Alameda, highlighting local opposition to any potential military presence.
Mayor Lurie affirmed his willingness to collaborate with federal agencies like the FBI and DEA to tackle pressing issues in the city, specifically drug overdoses.
However, he firmly stated that military involvement would not be part of that equation.
The scene in San Francisco reveals a larger pattern of conflict between federal authority and local governance as cities grapple with the implications of military presence in civilian areas.
As the situation remains fluid, all eyes will be on further developments regarding Trump’s immigration policies and whether military deployments will be revisited in response to ongoing tensions within city limits.
image source from：aljazeera
