Daniel Lurie says federal “surge” called off: National Guard and ICE plans for San Francisco paused after tech and civic pushback

San Francisco’s tense standoff over a potential federal “surge” eased Thursday morning, when Mayor Daniel Lurie said the president told him late Wednesday that any planned deployment to the city was called off. The reversal followed days of political heat, street protests, and a high-profile split among tech leaders—including Marc Benioff of Salesforce and longtime startup backer Ron Conway—over whether federal troops or immigration agents should be sent into San Francisco.

National Guard San Francisco: what changed overnight

The White House had floated sending National Guard units and additional federal personnel to San Francisco, framing it as a law-and-order move. City and state leaders argued such a step would be unlawful or counterproductive, pointing out that Guard members are not local police and would face tight legal constraints in city streets. After a phone call with the mayor on Wednesday night, the president paused the plan. Senior homeland security officials subsequently relayed that message to City Hall, and the mayor’s office said it remains ready for any scenario while emphasizing ongoing partnerships with federal law-enforcement agencies that operate within standard jurisdiction.

ICE San Francisco: agents, protests, and a brewing flashpoint

The sharpest escalation came from reports that federal immigration agents were being routed to the Bay Area, sparking demonstrations outside a staging area near Coast Guard Island in Alameda. Crowd-control devices were used at one point, and injuries were reported by organizers and witnesses. Civil-rights attorneys prepared emergency filings while state officials warned they would challenge any attempt to deploy military forces into local public-safety roles. With the “surge” now on hold, immigration enforcement activity remains under scrutiny, and legal observers expect rapid motions should any mass operation resume.

Marc Benioff, Salesforce, and Ron Conway: a public rift in tech leadership

The debate ruptured a long-standing alliance among San Francisco’s most influential business voices. Marc Benioff—a central figure in the city’s civic life—faced backlash after initially endorsing National Guard assistance and for separate chatter about leveraging enterprise AI tools for federal hiring tied to immigration enforcement. Within days he walked back those comments and issued an apology, saying he no longer believed the Guard was needed in San Francisco.

The reversal didn’t immediately quiet critics. Ron Conway, one of the city’s most prolific angel investors, publicly rebuked Benioff and resigned from a foundation board linked to the Salesforce ecosystem, arguing that deploying troops or turbocharging immigration crackdowns would damage public trust and the city’s recovery. Other tech leaders privately lobbied Washington to let local reforms play out, emphasizing improving crime trends and downtown green shoots.

Daniel Lurie’s position: cooperate on crime, reject militarization

Mayor Daniel Lurie has tried to separate two ideas: strong coordination with federal partners on gun, drug, and trafficking cases, and a clear no to military or militarized immigration deployments on city streets. His office says San Francisco will continue working cases with the FBI, DEA, ATF, and the U.S. Attorney—tools the city has relied on for fentanyl supply-chain investigations and gun interdictions—while resisting measures that could chill community cooperation or invite legal challenges. City lawyers, alongside state officials, had prepared to sue immediately if troops were ordered in.

What’s next for San Francisco

• Monitoring period. The city is treating the pause as real but fragile. Any new federal movement—whether Guard mobilization or a large immigration push—would trigger swift legal and political responses.

• Tech-civic détente. Business leaders who privately pressed for de-escalation will now be expected to back local recovery with funding, hiring, and downtown activation—without endorsing federal hard-power optics.

• Public safety metrics. With the spotlight on outcomes, the administration will lean on crime data trends, drug-market disruptions, and visible street conditions to argue progress is durable.

• Community trust. Advocates want assurances that federal cooperation remains case-driven and narrow, with clear guardrails against immigration sweeps in civic spaces and near schools or shelters.

Why the pause matters

Calling off the “surge” averts an immediate constitutional fight and reduces the risk of chaotic scenes that could undermine San Francisco’s fragile rebound. It also clarifies the city’s negotiating posture: yes to targeted federal partnerships, no to troop deployments and broad immigration dragnets. For residents and businesses, the next few weeks will test whether calmer politics—and unified messaging from City Hall and the tech sector—translate into steadier streets and continued economic momentum.