‘A Moment People Have Been Waiting For’: ICE Arrests Fuel SF Protests

Updated 8:45 a.m. Tuesday

San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie’s honeymoon is over, as growing fears over immigration enforcement and mass arrests of protesters have pushed people into the streets.

On Monday afternoon, a few hundred gathered at City Hall to protest President Donald Trump’s travel ban, which will bar most citizens of 19 countries from entering the U.S. It began less than 24 hours after San Francisco police arrested more than 150 protesters rallying against recent Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids.

Supervisor Bilal Mahmood joined other officials denouncing the mass arrests, as well as the Trump administration’s deployment of National Guard troops and mobilization of Marines in Los Angeles. Mahmood said he plans to introduce legislation at Tuesday’s board meeting to affirm the public’s First Amendment rights.

“People should not be afraid to go out into the streets,” Mahmood told KQED. “This is about a fundamental and inalienable right to protest.”

He addressed Trump directly during the rally.

“Donald Trump, you are a coward. You are a wannabe king, anchored in hatred,” Mahmood said. “And if you’re thinking of targeting a single one of my residents in District 5 — the families, the children or the seniors — you’re going to have to come through me first.”

California sued the Trump administration on Monday over its deployment of thousands of National Guard troops in Los Angeles over the weekend, after widespread demonstrations against increased immigration enforcement erupted across the city.

In their lawsuit, Gov. Gavin Newsom and Attorney General Rob Bonta argue that Trump’s activation of the guard violated the limits on federal power under the 10th Amendment because Newsom did not ask for the troops. Under ordinary circumstances, National Guard units are under the command of state governors.

On Monday evening, thousands filled the intersection of Mission and 24th streets, demanding an end to ICE raids and the dismissal of charges against protesters arrested in San Francisco on Sunday. Chants and cheers kicked off the event with high energy. Signs in the crowd read “Full citizenship rights for all immigrants” and “Abolish ICE now!” The event was organized by several advocacy groups working in solidarity with protesters in Los Angeles.

After marching through the Mission, the group largely dissipated. Multiple arrests were made after two small groups broke off later in the evening, according to the San Francisco Police Department. The demonstrations were “overwhelmingly peaceful,” according to a statement SFPD released around midnight, but the two small groups “broke off and committed vandalism and other criminal acts.”

KQED has requested more information on the arrests.

“I understand why people are out in the streets, and I know there is fear in our communities,” Lurie posted on X shortly after the arrests. “As mayor, I will always ensure we protect your right to protest peacefully—and your right to be safe.”

Over the weekend, activists clashed with local law enforcement during dramatic protests against immigration raids in Los Angeles and surrounding areas. Labor leader David Huerta was detained while documenting and protesting a workplace raid in downtown LA’s garment district. Video of the arrest shows him being violently knocked to the ground, his head resting on the curb.

Huerta was released from custody on Monday on a $50,000 bond. His arrest — and the backlash that followed — has become a flashpoint in the ongoing protests.

“I’m here in solidarity with all immigrants in support of their rights and our rights in the state of California,” Armon Kasmai, a San Francisco Unified School District teacher, said. “We were watching the news and wanted to come out and make sure that we’re out in full force and part of the numbers making a stand.”

The atmosphere was militant and tense. Marchers were energized — as if this were the moment many had long been waiting for. Jackie Gain said it reminded her of the 2020 protests after George Floyd’s murder.

“Everyone’s just uniting to fight back. It’s what we need,” said Gain, who has lived in the city for a decade. “Fighting for all the people that have been sent away, people that are, you know, fearful of being sent away. Fighting for human rights.”

Supervisor Jackie Fielder, who was at Sunday night’s protest, defended efforts to challenge ICE. She noted that more than a dozen people, including a 3-year-old child, were arrested at the ICE office in San Francisco on June 4 after appearing for check-in appointments.

“I want to thank all of the people that are protesting from LA to here in SF, because when the government turns on its own people, it’s up to the people to put the government in check,” Fielder said. “ICE is not promoting public safety. It’s promoting violence and racism. As a sanctuary city, San Francisco will not stand for it.”

Nearly all of the people arrested on Sunday night were cited and released, according to the San Francisco Police Department. City officials said some people damaged Muni buses and broke windows of downtown businesses, but more information about the extent of the damage has not been shared. Three officers were injured during the demonstration, the police department said.

Lurie, who has been cautious on matters relating to Trump, diverging from his predecessor and other Bay Area Democrats, defended the right to protest, but said violence and vandalism were unacceptable in a Monday evening social media post.

“As mayor, my No. 1 priority is — and has always been — the safety of everyone in our city,” he said in a video posted on Instagram. “But right now, many in our immigrant community are living in fear.

“The tactics being used across the country to target immigrant communities are designed to sow fear. These tactics make people afraid to go to work, afraid to send their kids to school, afraid to report a crime — and that makes us all less safe.”