FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 23, 2025
CONTACT: editor@sfbar.org
BASF Applauds De-Escalation in San Francisco, Urges Public Caution Amidst Regional Tensions and Clashes
SAN FRANCISCO, CA –The Bar Association of San Francisco (BASF) today acknowledges reports of the President’s decision to call off the planned deployment of federal agents to San Francisco following a conversation with Mayor Daniel Lurie. While this is welcome news, BASF remains concerned about the continued presence and unclear mission of federal agents in the wider Bay Area, and the volatile situation it has created, including recent clashes with protestors.
The clashes reported this morning in Alameda, where federal agents deployed apparent stun grenades against protestors, underscore the danger of the current situation. Such confrontations, regardless of their origins, can be used to justify military intervention under the Insurrection Act. BASF urges all residents exercising their First Amendment rights to do so peacefully and to avoid providing any justification for the use of force.
“We applaud the decision to suspend the deployment of federal agents to San Francisco, which we believe is a victory for the rule of law and the unified voice of our local leadership,” said Charles Jung, President of the Bar Association of San Francisco. “We urge Bay Area residents to exercise their right to protest peacefully, so that any violence or unrest isn’t used as an excuse to invoke the Insurrection Act and bring in the military.”
The legal principles that constrain federal military deployment to US cities and municipalities have not changed. The Act is a tool of last resort, reserved for genuine rebellion or the collapse of civil authority, such as the 1992 Los Angeles Riots or the 1957 Little Rock desegregation crisis. The present situation in San Francisco, a city with historically low crime rates, bears no resemblance to these national emergencies. Official data confirms San Francisco is experiencing historic public safety gains, with violent crime down 22% in 2025 and homicides on track to reach a 70-year low.
Furthermore, the Posse Comitatus Act has separated military and civilian policing for nearly 150 years. In the recent case of Newsom v. Trump, a federal judge in our own district conducted a full trial on this issue. In a detailed 52-page ruling, the court found the administration’s similar deployment to Los Angeles to be unlawful, concluding that officials acted willfully to circumvent the Act and “knowingly contradicted their own training materials.” While that decision is now on appeal, threatening to repeat actions that a federal court has already found violate the law signals contempt for the judicial process and the rule of law.
The Bar Association of San Francisco was founded to uphold the Constitution and the integrity of our justice system. We will remain vigilant. We call on our fellow citizens to remain peaceful, while exercising their First Amendment rights and continuing to uphold the constitutional principles that protect us all.
About The Bar Association of San Francisco
The Bar Association of San Francisco (BASF) is a nonprofit voluntary membership organization of attorneys, law students, and legal professionals in the Bay Area. Founded in 1872, BASF is dedicated to promoting fairness, equality, and integrity in the legal system and to serving the community.
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