(NewsNation) — A scheduled “stepped-up” federal presence in San Francisco has been put on hold by President Donald Trump, who is allowing San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie time to try and turn the city’s crime issues around, the White House confirmed to NewsNation.
Lurie wrote in a social media post on Thursday that Trump told him in a phone conversation late Wednesday that he would hold sending in federal officers and agents, which were expected to begin arriving on Thursday.
NewsNation confirmed on Wednesday that at least 100 Customs and Border Protection agents were expected to arrive in San Francisco on Thursday. NewsNation has learned that at this time, additional Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers won’t be sent to San Francisco.
Lurie wrote in a social media post that keeping San Francisco residents safe “is his top priority” and that as part of that commitment, he welcomed partnering with federal agencies, including the FBI, Drug Enforcement Administration, ATF and the U.S. Attorney’s Office to “get drugs and drug dealers off our streets.”
A White House spokesperson responded to NewsNation’s request for confirmation with a Trump Truth Social post in which the president said he was giving Lurie time to “turn it around.”
“I spoke to Mayor Lurie last night and he asked, very nicely, that I give him a chance to see if he can turn it around, ” Trump wrote. “I told him I think he is making a mistake, because we can do it much faster, and remove the criminals that the Law does not permit him to remove. I told him, “It’s an easier process if we do it, faster, stronger, and safer but, let’s see how you do?” The people of San Francisco have come together on fighting Crime, especially since we began to take charge of that very nasty subject.”
A U.S. Customs and Border Protection source told NewsNation that the planned operation is on hold.
This is a developing story. NewsNation will update the story as more information becomes available.
