President Donald Trump’s escalating campaign of immigration enforcement in Democratic-led cities is moving to the Bay Area, where the U.S. Coast Guard confirmed Wednesday that its base in Alameda, California, will serve as a staging ground for 100 federal immigration agents. The operation marks another step in the administration’s effort to deploy military-style forces across the country, drawing comparisons from state and local leaders to authoritarian regimes.
A spokesperson for the Coast Guard, which is part of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), said the base would serve as a “place of operations” for Customs and Border Protection (CBP) personnel arriving this week. “This support of DHS agencies continues the Coast Guard’s operations to control, secure, and defend US borders and maritime approaches,” the statement read. “Through a whole-of-government approach, we are leveraging our unique authorities and capabilities to detect, deter, and interdict illegal aliens, narco-terrorists, and individuals intent on terrorism or other hostile activity before they reach our border.”
The deployment follows months of heightened federal enforcement in the Bay Area. Since May, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and CBP agents have moved to have asylum cases dismissed and have conducted arrests outside courthouses and immigration field offices. More than 2,000 people have been arrested in San Francisco’s “Area of Responsibility” between January and July 2025, according to Mission Local.
Trump’s plan to send federal agents to San Francisco comes after a series of similar operations in Los Angeles, Portland, Washington, D.C., and Chicago. In several of those cities, the administration has also sought to deploy National Guard troops under the justification of border and public safety operations. A federal judge has blocked the National Guard deployment in Illinois, where ICE’s “Operation Midway Blitz” continues, but the administration has appealed the case to the U.S. Supreme Court.
CBS News reporter Camilo Montoya-Galvez, citing two unnamed officials, reported that Border Patrol official Gregory Bovino—who previously oversaw raids in Chicago and Los Angeles—is expected to be involved in the Bay Area operation.
State and local leaders across California have condemned the move, describing it as unconstitutional and politically motivated. Governor Gavin Newsom, a Democrat and potential 2028 presidential contender, said Wednesday that “this is right out of the dictator’s handbook.” He accused Trump of sending “masked immigration agents” to create “anxiety,” only to then justify the use of the National Guard. “This is no different than the arsonist putting out the fire,” Newsom said in a video statement.
San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie also criticized the decision, saying the city had “already endured the painful impact of aggressive immigration enforcement.” He noted that city officials have been preparing for months for a possible escalation. “For the last 10 months, we have been taking steps to prepare for this kind of escalation here in San Francisco,” he said. “Just a few minutes ago, I signed an executive directive that will build on these preparations, strengthen the city’s support for our immigrant communities, and ensure our departments are coordinated ahead of any federal deployment.”
“Immigrants are the small business owners, essential workers, community leaders, and neighbors who make San Francisco a place that we are proud to call home,” Lurie continued. “They fuel our economy—contributing nearly $275 billion in output and $23 billion in annual tax revenue across California. San Francisco will never stand by as our neighbors are targeted, and neither will I.”
In Alameda, where the Coast Guard base is located, local officials moved quickly to distance themselves from the operation. “The Alameda Police Department (APD) is not a part of this operation, and APD does not enforce federal immigration laws or related civil warrants,” the department said in a statement. It reaffirmed the city’s commitment “to the values of dignity, inclusivity, and respect for all individuals, regardless of ethnic or national origin, gender, race, religious affiliation, sexual orientation, or immigration status.”
Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who represents San Francisco, said the city “does not want or need Donald Trump’s chaos.” In a statement Tuesday, Pelosi said, “Our city takes great pride in the steps we’ve taken to significantly increase public safety and reduce crime—without the interference of a president just seeking headlines.”
California Attorney General Rob Bonta and San Francisco City Attorney David Chiu have both warned they will take legal action if Trump attempts to deploy the National Guard. “San Francisco has seen historic drops in crime,” Chiu said. “Our local law enforcement are more than capable of keeping our city safe while upholding First Amendment rights.” He also urged the Supreme Court “to uphold the bedrock legal principle that domestic law enforcement is not the military’s job.”
In a Fox News interview aired Sunday, Trump defended the move, insisting that federal agents would be welcomed by residents. “We’re going to San Francisco and we’ll make it great. It’ll be great again. San Francisco is a great city. It won’t be great if it keeps going like this,” he said. “We’re going to go to San Francisco. The difference is they want us in San Francisco.”
The administration’s intensifying immigration operations come months ahead of Super Bowl LX, which will be held in nearby Santa Clara, California. Federal sources told The Hill that DHS plans to coordinate with event security agencies as part of its “whole-of-government” approach to national safety.
Trump’s claim that the deployments are necessary to “clean up” crime-ridden cities has been widely disputed by state and local officials. FBI data show San Francisco currently ranks 13th nationwide for property crime, with 3,929 cases of property offenses per 100,000 residents and 5,118 burglaries reported last year. Yet violent crime in the city has fallen to levels “not seen since the 1950s,” Mayor Lurie said, crediting local and state coordination for the decline.
Newsom called on Californians to stay calm and nonviolent in the face of the operation. “California has seen enough,” he said on social media. “President Trump and Stephen Miller’s authoritarian playbook is coming for another of our cities, and violence and vandalism are exactly what they’re looking for to invoke chaos. Help keep yourself and your communities safe. Remain peaceful.”
Civil rights advocates say the operation marks a dangerous escalation of federal intrusion into local governance. The administration has faced growing criticism for what observers describe as an attempt to blur the line between civilian law enforcement and the military. Across multiple states, Trump has also used federal forces to suppress protests and target journalists, attorneys, comedians, and other critics he claims hold “anti-Christian” or “anti-capitalist” views.
As agents begin arriving at Coast Guard Base Alameda, local leaders say they are determined to resist. “San Francisco will never stand by as our neighbors are targeted,” Mayor Lurie said. “And neither will I.”
COMMENTS