San Francisco’s new mayor, Daniel Lurie, has persuaded President Donald Trump to call off a planned immigration enforcement surge, after the president credited him for “very nicely” asking for a chance to turn the city around. The conversation, initiated by Trump, marked a rare moment of détente between the Republican president and a Democratic mayor.
Speaking at a news conference, Lurie confirmed that Trump had called him and “clearly” agreed to stand down federal troops. The president said he was also swayed by calls from Silicon Valley leaders, including Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff and Nvidia chief Jensen Huang, who vouched for the progress San Francisco has made since Lurie took office in January.
Lurie, the 48-year-old heir to the Levi Strauss fortune, won election last November on a promise to tackle the city’s post-pandemic challenges. Since then, crime statistics have improved: homicides have fallen 45% and robberies 40% from 2019 to 2025, with the city on track for its lowest homicide rate in over 70 years.
Unlike California Governor Gavin Newsom, who has emerged as a leading anti-Trump figure, Lurie has avoided personal attacks on the president, focusing instead on public safety. His “heads down” approach appears to have paid off, as he secured Trump’s cooperation without making any concessions.
Lurie’s ties to Silicon Valley’s elite have been instrumental in building credibility with the Trump administration. The mayor continues to emphasise that San Francisco defines itself, even as the federal government looms large.
