Misinformation about immigration enforcement continues to spread in San Francisco’s immigrant communities, fueling fears about police collaboration with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). One of the most common concerns is whether local law enforcement works with ICE to detain and deport immigrants.
To help clear up confusion, here’s what you need to know about ICE’s role in San Francisco and how to protect yourself if confronted by immigration enforcement.
Is it ICE? Here’s how to tell
A common source of confusion comes from misinformation about what ICE officers look like compared to local police.
ICE has two main divisions with distinct roles:
- Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) – Handles immigrant detention and deportation.
- Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) – Investigates cross-border crimes such as drug and human trafficking.
While both divisions operate under ICE, ERO and HSI agents have different roles and appearances. HSI agents may wear badges or vests labeled “HSI” or “POLICE” without any mention of ICE, which often causes confusion. ERO officers may be harder to identify at first, but they should always display ICE markings when detaining someone.
How to recognize ERO officers:
- They are often in plainclothes, wearing anything from jeans and a t-shirt to formal work attire; they also can wear blue tactical vests.
- Their gear may say “Police ICE,” “Police HSI,” or just “Police.”
- Unlike SFPD, they do not wear standard San Francisco police uniforms.
“If you look at these images, it’s pretty obvious that they’re not just a regular San Francisco uniformed police officer,” said Finn Palarmo, a program manager with the San Francisco Immigrant Legal & Education Network (SFILEN), in an online webinar posted on YouTube on Jan. 28.
Is ICE actively conducting raids in San Francisco?
Despite fears circulating on social media, there have been no verified reports of mass ICE raids, workplace sweeps, or checkpoints in San Francisco.
“Currently all of the verified ICE enforcement in the city has been specifically targeted arrests and not any form of mass enforcement or random checkpoints,” said Palarmo.
However, ICE operates independently in San Francisco as a federal agency with its own jurisdiction.
Does ICE work with S.F. police to arrest immigrants?
No. San Francisco’s sanctuary laws prohibit SFPD from assisting ICE with immigration enforcement.
“I want to make some things very clear,” SFPD Chief William Scott said at a Jan. 28 press conference. “The San Francisco Police Department does not assist in immigration raids.”
Sanctuary policies exist to protect public safety, ensuring that all residents — regardless of immigration status — can report crimes without fear of deportation.
“Targeting immigrants who have built families, businesses, and homes here does not improve public safety,” Scott said. “It does the exact opposite. It makes people fearful to report crimes. It makes children afraid to go to school, to the library, to the playgrounds. That’s not what we want.”
What does it mean for San Francisco to be a sanctuary city?
San Francisco has been a sanctuary city since the 1980s, meaning local law enforcement and public agencies do not assist ICE in detaining or deporting immigrants.
“So what does sanctuary law do? San Francisco’s sanctuary policy specifically ensures that local resources do not get passed on to ICE, and they do not facilitate ICE’s operations in any way,” Palarmo explained.
Under local laws, city employees — including police officers, sheriff’s deputies, educators, and medical staff — cannot:
- Assist ICE in investigations, arrests, or detention.
- Hold people for ICE after their scheduled release from jail
- Share arrest records with ICE (except in very limited cases involving violent felonies).
- Ask about immigration status on city applications or during routine police interactions. SFPD officers cannot ask about immigration status when responding to calls.
- Detain someone solely for immigration purposes. SFPD cannot hold individuals for ICE unless there is a valid criminal warrant.
- Help ICE with immigration arrests, even if working on federal gang or drug investigations. While SFPD can collaborate with federal agencies like the DEA and FBI on criminal cases, ICE is not involved.
Being a sanctuary city, however, does not mean that all undocumented immigrants are protected. Those convicted of violent felonies (e.g., domestic violence, homicide, or sexual assault of a minor) are still subject to arrests by ICE.
Are there any cases where S.F. police work with ICE?
No, but San Francisco law enforcement does collaborate with federal agencies on drug enforcement efforts — a practice that some critics say can expose undocumented immigrants to deportation.
- Operation Overdrive: A federal effort to disrupt fentanyl trafficking in high-impact areas like San Francisco, involving the DEA, FBI, ATF, and U.S. Attorney’s Office. ICE is not involved.
- All Hands on Deck: A joint federal-local initiative targeting fentanyl sales in the Tenderloin. Led by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, it includes the DEA, FBI, ATF, and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).
While HSI (a division of the Department of Homeland Security) is involved, its role is limited to drug enforcement, not immigration.
However, according to a report by the SF Public Press, public defenders argue that referring drug cases to federal court increases the risk of deportation for undocumented defendants.
Assistant Chief Public Defender Angela Chan has accused the DA’s Office of sidestepping sanctuary laws by dismissing drug cases in state court and re-filing them federally, where defendants are more vulnerable to deportation — raising concerns about San Francisco’s sanctuary policies.
Can ICE make itself look like local police?
Yes, ICE agents sometimes wear gear labeled “POLICE,” which can cause confusion.
According to a National Immigration Law Center report, ICE frequently identifies itself as “police” during arrests without clarifying that they are federal immigration agents. While this is legal under federal law, immigrant advocates argue that it creates fear and can mislead people into cooperating with ICE officers, believing they are local police.
However, there is one key visual difference between ICE agents and actual police officers: ICE agents do not wear full police uniforms because impersonating a police officer is illegal.
How to tell the difference between ICE and local police:
- SFPD officers must disclose their name and badge number upon request. If someone in plainclothes wearing a “POLICE” vest refuses to provide this information, they are likely an ICE agent.
- ICE agents are legally required to carry a badge when making an arrest or attempting a search, but they do not always display it clearly.
- If you’re unsure, do not open the door and request to see a warrant signed by a judge.
What should you do if approached by ICE?
If you or someone you know is confronted by ICE officers, it’s important to try to stay calm and remember that you have rights. Here’s how to protect yourself and others:
- Ask for identification. If officers say they are “police,” ask if they are from ICE or DHS.
- Do not open the door. ICE cannot enter your home unless they have a warrant signed by a judge.
- Check the warrant. A real warrant is from a “United States District Court” and signed by a judge. ICE warrants from “Department of Homeland Security” are not valid — do not open the door. Ask them to slide it under the door to check.
- Stay silent. You have the right to remain silent and request a lawyer; you don’t have to answer any questions until one is present.
- Do not sign anything. ICE may pressure you to sign forms that waive your legal rights.
If you suspect ICE activity or need legal assistance, contact the San Francisco Rapid Response Network at (415) 200-1548
Have more questions about ICE in San Francisco? Email us at editor@eltecolote.org