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San Francisco officials reaffirm sanctuary city status amid ramped-up immigration enforcement

San Francisco officials reaffirm sanctuary city policy amid Trump’s plan for deportations
San Francisco officials reaffirm sanctuary city policy amid Trump’s plan for deportations 05:16

San Francisco leaders reaffirmed its status as a sanctuary city on Tuesday as the Trump administration vows to make good on campaign promises for increased immigration enforcement.

The rally held on the steps of San Francisco City Hall late Tuesday morning said officials were not bringing the fight, but are ready if needed.

SF sanctuary city rally
SF sanctuary city rally CBS News Bay Area

Community and labor leaders stood alongside San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie, City Attorney David Chiu and others with a message. San Francisco Police Chief Bill Scott, District Attorney Brooke Jenkins, Sheriff Paul Miyamoto and Public Defender Mano Raju were also present.

"And though we are in a challenging moment right now, I am inspired to see so many of us come together to support our neighbors," said Lurie, who took office earlier this month. "In San Francisco, we value our immigrant communities. This city is your home. And know that I and everyone here will continue working to make sure it remains a safe and welcoming home for all families, no matter where you come from."

"To be safe, our immigrant families and workers must trust. Our victims and witnesses need to know that our police officers are not ICE agents," said Chiu. It is the federal government's responsibility to enforce immigration law. It is not the responsibility of local government or state government. With scarce resources, we have to prioritize those resources to fight crime, not break up families." 

"I want to make some things very clear," Scott said. "First of all, the San Francisco Police Department does not assist in immigration raids ... Targeting immigrants who have built families, businesses, and homes here does not improve public safety, it does the exact opposite. It makes people fearful to report crimes, obtain needed healthcare or use other city services. It makes children afraid to go to school."

Olga Miranda, president of SEIU Local 87, which representing janitors, was also part of the rally. Miranda said ICE officials allegedly showed up at a pair of private office buildings in San Francisco late Friday afternoon.

"We verified two buildings. At one building, ICE had to come in twice. The second time they showed up with an arrest warrant. At the first building, they were turned away immediately when they came in. They were asked, 'Who are you?' They did not have a badge to be able to go up to any of the floors. So, this is how it all unfolded," she said.

Miranda went on to say, "They're being very slippery. They did not wear their jackets. They did not wear anything that said 'police.'  But their badges were asked for, their plaques were asked for. That's how we were able to verify."

San Francisco's sanctuary city policy was enacted in 1989 to prevent local agencies from assisting federal authorities like ICE to enforce immigration law.

Supervisor Jackie Fielder introduced a resolution a few weeks ago to ensure that San Francisco reaffirms its sanctuary city policy. All 10 other members of the Board of Supervisors joined as co-sponsors for the resolution and officially approved it in a unanimous vote at Tuesday's board meeting.

"What that should communicate to Trump and to anyone that wants to see us roll back is that we are not going back," Fielder said. "No matter your status, you deserve to feel safe and that is exactly what sanctuary is about."

The GOP-led House Oversight Committee is currently taking aim at sanctuary cities. The mayors of Boston, Chicago, Denver, and New York City have been invited to testify at a committee hearing in two weeks.

The letter from committee chair and Kentucky Rep. James Comer issued Monday said that misguided and obstructionist policies prevent federal law enforcement from making safe arrests and getting criminals out of communities. 

Immigration rhetoric being heard from the Trump administration has raised the anxiety levels for the Bay Area migrant community. 

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents conducted an operation in San Jose on Sunday that led to a Colombian national being picked up, city officials confirmed. A false report of ICE agents on a Muni bus in San Francisco's Visitacion Valley on Thursday prompted the city school officials to mention the incident in a letter to families before it was debunked.

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