Rape Suspect in Middle of Sanctuary Battle Between Feds and San Francisco Pleads 'Not Guilty'

A rape suspect at the center of a conflict between San Francisco and the Trump administration over the city’s sanctuary policies pleaded not guilty Wednesday.

Mohamed Ben Azaza was extradited from Canada after the Department of Homeland Security backed off demands that the city first change its sanctuary policies that restrict local law enforcement from communicating with immigration officials.

Azaza, a Tunisian national, is accused of four felonies in the alleged rape of an unconscious woman while he was driving for Uber.

In court, the prosecutor said there is DNA evidence in the case linking Azaza to the rape.

“What’s important to note is this is a sexual assault case and our office takes sexual assault very seriously,” said Alex Bastian, a spokesman with the San Francisco District Attorney’s Office. “And when we have the evidence to do so we are going charge someone and do everything we can to bring that person to justice.”

Azaza was extradited to the United States from Canada hours before city supervisors were scheduled to vote on a measure that would meet federal demands that immigration officials be informed if Azaza made bail or was acquitted.

Azaza allegedly raped an unconscious woman he drove from Daly City to San Francisco in 2017, the San Francisco Examiner reported. He fled to Canada after a warrant for his arrest was issued in June, and was detained in Montreal.

Last week, the Department of Homeland Security said it wouldn’t work to extradite Azaza unless local law enforcement notified federal immigration officials if Azaza posted bail, was acquitted or if there wasn’t enough evidence to try him.

That could have violated city sanctuary laws that generally prohibit communication between employees and the federal government regarding a person’s immigration status. There are strict rules on when cooperation is allowed.

Critics had argued that the Trump administration was trying to weaken sanctuary laws that advocates say are designed to make people living in the country illegally more likely to cooperate with local police without fear of deportation.

They said carving out an exception — even just for the single case — would be a bad precedent.

It is unclear why the Trump administration ended up extraditing Azaza, even though the city did not change its sanctuary policy.

Azaza is currently being held without bail.

Tara Siler and the Associated Press contributed to this report