Rumors of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) activity in San Francisco have ignited panic, with advocates warning that some immigrant families may be avoiding work and school out of fear — even when no enforcement is actually taking place.
The fear peaked just days after Donald Trump’s presidential inauguration when a middle school student in Visitacion Valley reported that a federal officer asked him for his ID while riding Muni. The San Francisco Unified School District superintendent alerted families to the unverified report before it was confirmed to be false, fueling widespread concern.
It took nearly 24 hours for officials — including the mayor, Muni, and ICE — to debunk the claim. But by then, the damage was done. The rumor spread rapidly across social media, deepening anxiety within immigrant communities.
“I think [this] example is kind of a run-through of what this will be like for the months and years to come,” said District 9 Supervisor Jackie Fielder. “There needs to be some way that the rumors are quelled.”
A new lens on ICE sightings?
Since the debunked rumor, multiple ICE sightings have been reported across San Francisco, most involving targeted arrests. But tracking a clear increase is difficult, as ICE does not publicly disclose enforcement data.
“What we’re seeing now in terms of enforcement has been happening for a while. This is not new,” said Luis Angel Reyes Savalza, an attorney with San Francisco’s Public Defender’s Office.
He emphasized that ICE operations are expected to intensify, but that panic serves Trump’s agenda.
“[ICE enforcement] will increase — we can’t ignore that,” Reyes Savalza said. “But we also don’t want to spread the kind of fear that this administration wants to sow in our communities — the constant paralysis.”
How to verify ICE sightings in San Francisco
False alarms don’t just cause anxiety — they disrupt lives.
“Hold off before you share [ICE sightings] that you don’t know have been confirmed and verified,” said Reyes Savalza. “Sharing something like that can cause people to skip school, work or the hospital, even when there’s no real threat.”
Public officials say the best way to report potential ICE sightings is by calling San Francisco’s Rapid Response Network (SFRRN) at (415) 200-1548. The 24/7 hotline tracks and verifies ICE activity, with the goal of connecting impacted individuals with legal aid.
The network, made up of immigrant rights groups and community volunteers, dispatches observers to verify reports, gather witness statements, and document incidents.
To help advocates respond quickly, Reyes Savalza encourages residents to provide as much verified information as possible, including videos or photos, exact locations, and personal details of detained individuals.
Navigating ICE sightings on social media
While the SFRRN hotline works to verify or debunk ICE rumors, only some confirmed reports get posted on Mission Action’s Instagram account (@missionactionsf), a key partner in the network.
Yet many people still don’t know the hotline exists, leading some to rely solely on social media for updates. “For all we know, [the hotline] is the number to immigration officials, literally to tell people where to go. We don’t know,” said Cutberto Ramirez, who runs the Instagram account @hella.paisa.
That reliance has put pressure on community members — especially those with large followings — who are trying to balance getting information out quickly without adding to the fear. “So many people hit me because of my page, saying, ‘I’ve seen this and I heard this,’” Ramirez said. “It’s like walking this fine line of what can I do, and what I shouldn’t be doing.”
For Jesus Coba, co-founder of Frisco Copwatch and the person behind the Instagram account @frisco_lens, the Muni incident was a wake-up call. “I didn’t post about it until SFUSD sent out the letter,” he said, and now he urges both followers and public officials not to spread ICE rumors unless they have clearer evidence, such as photos, videos and timestamps.
“It’s not propaganda. It’s the truth,” he said.
One of those videos took place on January 26 in the Tenderloin. Rashan Jones Jr., a local resident, filmed ICE detaining a man and posted the footage to his private Instagram Stories. From there, it spread to Coba’s account, where it went viral.
“I see ICE detaining a man. I don’t know the details. I don’t know for what. And frankly, that’s not my business,” he said. “But people should know that ICE is in our communities, in our so-called sanctuary city, arresting people.”
Yet, while community leaders agree that documenting ICE is crucial, they emphasize that verification should come first.
“Oftentimes, the videos that are being shared don’t have a timestamp about when or where it happened, or if ICE is still there,” Reyes Savalza said. “Verifying these things is really important. The first step isn’t to say, ‘Don’t share’ — it’s to share responsibly.”
Knowing your rights: The strongest defense against ICE
As misinformation spreads, advocates stress that knowledge is the most powerful tool against ICE enforcement.
Reyes Savalza pointed to a recent workplace incident where plainclothes ICE agents attempted to enter multiple downtown office buildings but were turned away by security for lacking warrants, according to SEIU Local 87.
“They kept ICE out — just like that,” Reyes Savalza said. “They didn’t have a warrant, so they weren’t let in. And that’s exactly how it should work.”
Despite Trump’s push to ramp up deportations, ICE is still bound by legal limits. As of now, they cannot enter homes, schools, hospitals or workplaces without a judge-signed warrant.
But many people don’t know this, making them more vulnerable to intimidation.
“ICE relies on fear. They show up unannounced, flash official-looking paperwork, and pressure people to open doors and answer questions. But here’s the truth: If you don’t open the door, if you don’t speak to them, ICE has no case,” Reyes Savalza said.
This is why Know Your Rights education is critical, he said. Many local organizations provide free training to teach immigrants how to respond if ICE approaches them.
“When communities know their rights, they can’t be easily targeted,” said Reyes Savalza. “That’s why we have to educate people — not just to react, but to prepare, organize and empower.”