San Francisco leaders say the city must be ready when federal agents are deployed

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) — Some elected officials say scenes set in Minneapolis could be a possibility for San Francisco after the city narrowly avoided President Donald Trump’s threat of a federal surge in October.

District Attorney Brooke Jenkins said Monday that she is not afraid to prosecute federal agents if they break the law in San Francisco — and urged other district attorneys across the country to consider doing the same.

“We can’t be caught flat-footed. We have to be prepared,” Jenkins said.

An aide to Jenkins said this has been a top priority for their office since the federal surges began earlier this year, starting in Los Angeles in June. She warned the Trump administration that any illegal behavior by federal agents would be scrutinized.

“It’s not something we’re going to tolerate in our jurisdictions,” Jenkins said. “We have the capacity to prosecute if we believe any conduct is unlawful.”

When asked how her office would handle potential cases, Jenkins pointed to serious criminal liability if the use of force is found to be unjustified.

MORE: Bay Area protesters honor Veterans Affairs ICU nurse Alex Pretti, other victims of ICE

“Yes, we are talking about possible murder charges,” she said. “We need to look at excessive force allegations and what the possible defenses against them are.”

Building cases against law enforcement officers can be difficult, a challenge underscored by concerns raised in Minnesota.

San Jose Congressman Sam Liccardo, a former prosecutor, said the Department of Homeland Security is blocking local authorities from accessing evidence related to the shooting of Alex Pretti.

“The critical challenges right now, for example in Minnesota, are ensuring local prosecutors and local police have access to the evidence,” Liccardo said.

Liccardo called the situation highly unusual.

“That is extremely abnormal,” he said. “The fact that we have to go to federal judges to order federal authorities to preserve evidence to make it available for the local DEA to investigate is outrageous.”

MORE: Congressional criticism of Republicans increases over Pretti shooting and ICE operation in Minnesota

The issue surfaced publicly Monday at a mayoral economic forum, where a moment of silence was held for Alex Pretti and Renee Good.

San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie declined to directly comment on whether the Bay Area remains on a list for possible federal deployment.

“You can’t be a human being without a feeling of absolute devastation and a feeling of fear and anger about what’s happening in Minnesota,” Lurie said.

Lurie and Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee both emphasized that Bay Area cities should avoid giving federal agents a reason to intervene.

“Their playbook is to make sure that they have an opening and that there is a gap and a void to bring in their military to militarize and occupy our cities,” Lee said. “And we’re not going to let that happen.”

With the Super Bowl approaching, Lurie said people should expect to see increased law enforcement across the Bay Area, emphasizing that local officials will focus on protecting residents and not supporting federal immigration enforcement.

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