San Francisco Mayor Warns Trump Admin Seeks 'Backlash, Chaos and Violence' Ahead of Potential ICE Surge in City

San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie on Wednesday accused the Trump administration of deliberately attempting to provoke unrest as federal immigration authorities prepare a large-scale operation in the Bay Area.

In a live-streamed address, Lurie said the federal government's actions are part of "an authoritarian playbook" designed to generate "backlash, chaos and violence" in U.S. cities, warning residents to remain calm and protest peacefully if immigration raids occur.

"Violent behavior toward officers or destructive behavior toward local businesses will not be tolerated," he said, as reported by The Washington Post. "If federal officials come to incite chaos on the streets of San Francisco, the way to support our communities and keep everyone safe is to make our voices heard peacefully."

Lurie announced he had signed an executive directive reinforcing San Francisco's "sanctuary city" policies, which prohibit local police from assisting in civil immigration enforcement. He said the directive would ensure city law enforcement officers protect free speech and maintain order during any demonstrations.

His comments followed reports that more than 100 federal agents, including personnel from U.S. Customs and Border Protection, have been deployed to Coast Guard Base Alameda, where operations are expected to begin this week.

The Department of Homeland Security confirmed the movement of agents to The San Francisco Chronicle on Wednesday, saying it was "targeting the worst of the worst criminal illegal aliens — including murderers, rapists, gang members, pedophiles, and terrorists — in cities such as Portland, Chicago, Memphis and San Francisco."

President Donald Trump, in a Fox News interview on Sunday, said, "We're going to San Francisco and we'll make it great. It'll be great again," signaling his intent to expand the administration's ongoing immigration crackdown to the city:

California Governor Gavin Newsom said on Tuesday the state would sue the federal government if Trump attempts to deploy National Guard troops into San Francisco:

"We don't bow to kings, and we're standing up to this wannabe tyrant. The notion that the federal government can deploy troops into our cities with no justification grounded in reality, no oversight, no accountability, no respect for state sovereignty - it's a direct assault on the rule of law"

San Francisco, one of the nation's earliest sanctuary jurisdictions, has long resisted federal immigration enforcement efforts. Lurie said his administration has made "significant progress" in reducing crime and homelessness, arguing that additional federal intervention would "hinder our progress and let chaos get in the way of our recovery."