Pressroom

Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights of the San Francisco Bay Area Condemns Planned Deployment of Federal Agents to San Francisco; Reminds Community Members of Their Rights 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE : 22 October 2025 

MEDIA CONTACT: Raya Steier, c: 530-723-2426, rsteier@lccrsf.org 

***PRESS STATEMENT***

San Francisco– Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights of the San Francisco Bay Area condemns the Trump administration’s planned deployment of over 100 federal agents to our communities. This operation which, according to the San Francisco Chronicle, is set to begin tomorrow, October 23, 2025, is a callous attempt to destabilize our communities and our immigrant neighbors and families. 

This planned deployment is inhumane and designed to inflict fear rather than provide security. It deliberately targets the most vulnerable members of our community, who are parents, workers, and families, sowing fear in the very places they should feel safest—their homes, workplaces and their neighborhoods. The trauma inflicted by tearing families apart and forcing communities into hiding is deep and lasting.  

This is a politically motivated stunt and a shameless waste of taxpayer dollars. In the midst of a government shutdown that has halted essential services and left workers unpaid, the Trump administration is spending millions to send armed agents to our communities. Their priority is clear: terrorizing San Francisco over funding the government. We don’t need federal agents on our streets. We need healthcare for our families and those in crisis, living wages, affordable housing, and safety that is rooted in justice. 

This deployment is not about public safety, but about racial profiling. Nationwide, ICE raids have targeted people based on their race and the color of their skin. Even U.S. citizens have not been spared. According to ProPublica, least 170 American citizens have been held against their will by immigration agents since Trump took office, simply because they fit a racial profile. This is not enforcement; it is state-sanctioned discrimination. 

The Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights stands in solidarity with our communities. We vow to protect you, and we are prepared to meet this moment with steadfast resolve. 

To our immigrant community members: 

  • You have the right to remain silent. You can and should refuse to answer questions about your birthplace, immigration status, or how you entered the country. 
  • You have the right not to open your door to ICE unless they can show a judicial warrant signed by a judge. Do not open the door. Ask them to slide the warrant under the door. An ICE/DHS administrative warrant is not enough to force entry. 
  • Do not sign any document before speaking with an attorney. 
  • Make copies of your important documents, such as your passport and any immigration documents, and tell your trusted loved ones where you keep them. If a loved one is detained, call your local Rapid Response network immediately. Do not wait. 

Bay Area Rapid Response Hotlines: 

To our community members planning to protest: 

  • You have the right to peacefully assemble. 
  • You have the right to record police and ICE activities in public spaces. 
  • If you are stopped, you have the right to remain silent. You do not have to answer questions about your immigration status or birthplace. 
  • If you are arrested, ask for a lawyer immediately. 

We call on the City of San Francisco and Mayor Daniel Lurie to take immediate and unequivocal action to protect all constituents. We demand a public affirmation of our city’s Sanctuary City status and all necessary measures to ensure that local resources are not used to aid this destructive federal operation. 

Our communities are strong, resilient, and rooted in a history of resistance. We will watch, we will document, and we will use every legal tool at our disposal to fight this injustice.  

### 

Top