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San Francisco and San Diego, two of California’s largest sanctuary cities, are under federal investigation for the alleged actions of local officials who stonewalled ICE and let criminal migrants walk free, The California Post has learned.

Four bombshell letters — sent out Tuesday by the House Judiciary Committee — demanded records from police and sheriff’s departments in San Francisco and San Diego as President Donald Trump’s second administration escalates its crackdown on deep-blue sanctuary cities.


  Rep. Jim Jordan, chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, is launching a probe of San Francisco and San Diego. AP Rep. Jim Jordan, chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, is launching a probe of San Francisco and San Diego. AP

  Rep. Darrell Issa, a longtime congressman from San Diego, also supports the investigations. Nathan Posner/Shutterstock Rep. Darrell Issa, a longtime congressman from San Diego, also supports the investigations. Nathan Posner/Shutterstock

The harshest spotlight could fall on San Francisco, the famously liberal Bay Area city that has been at the center of the national sanctuary city fight for decades after adopting a refuge ordinance in 1989.

In a letter to San Francisco Police Chief Chief Derrick Lew, Reps. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) and Tom McClintock (R-CA) accused San Francisco law enforcement of failing to notify federal immigration officials of detainers involving “criminal aliens,” and they demanded records going back to the beginning of 2024. 


  San Francisco Police Chief Chief Derrick Lew was ordered to hand over records by June 16. AP San Francisco Police Chief Chief Derrick Lew was ordered to hand over records by June 16. AP

“In practice, San Francisco’s pro-illegal alien policies ensure dangerous criminals are released from SFPD’s custody — or never apprehended by SFPD at all — and are free to reoffend,” the lawmakers wrote.

The letter to Miyamoto was even more pointed, accusing San Francisco’s sheriff of defending the city’s sanctuary policies “even when confronted by the dangerous effects” of them. 


  San Francisco Sheriff Paul Miyamoto faces pressure after bragging about refusing to cooperate with ICE detainers. Anadolu via Getty Images San Francisco Sheriff Paul Miyamoto faces pressure after bragging about refusing to cooperate with ICE detainers. Anadolu via Getty Images

The committee cited Miyamoto’s past statement that “out of thousands of requests for detention” from ICE, his office had “only honored one.”

The letter even went so far as to accuse Miyamoto’s office of blocking the feds from interviewing David DePape, a Canadian national who bludgeoned then-Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s husband in a October 2022 hammer attack at the couple’s home.


  Rep. Nancy Pelosi and her husband Paul. Getty Images Rep. Nancy Pelosi and her husband Paul. Getty Images

  Brian DePape nearly killed Paul Pelosi by hitting him in the head with a hammer in October 2022. San Francisco Police Department/AFP via Getty Images Brian DePape nearly killed Paul Pelosi by hitting him in the head with a hammer in October 2022. San Francisco Police Department/AFP via Getty Images

  DePape was sentenced to 30 years in prison for his home invasion attack. AP DePape was sentenced to 30 years in prison for his home invasion attack. AP

“Despite your claim that California’s and San Francisco’s pro-illegal alien laws ‘were created to uphold justice, not to shield those who threaten public safety,’ sanctuary policies endanger the communities you serve,” lawmakers wrote.

The letter to Miyamoto demanded all policies on the sheriff’s offices interactions with ICE, all policies and communications on non-US citizens, and any info on ICE detainer requests and arrests going back to 2020.

Both the police chief and sheriff in San Francisco were told to include any immigration-related correspondence with the office of Mayor Daniel Lurie, who had a call in late 2025 with Trump that led the president to call off deploying National Guard troops to the Bay Area, just months after troops were deployed to Los Angeles.

Lurie has steadfastly avoided saying Trump’s name in public remarks to avoid provoking the president’s wrath.


  Communications between law enforcement and the office of San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie was requested. Anadolu via Getty Images Communications between law enforcement and the office of San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie was requested. Anadolu via Getty Images

Jen Kwart, a spokesperson for San Francisco City Attorney David Chiu, told The Post that the office is reviewing the inquiry and respond to the committee.

“San Francisco is one of the safest cities in the nation, and our longstanding policies build trust with law enforcement and improve public safety,” Kwart said in a statement.

She added, “San Francisco’s policies have repeatedly been upheld in the courts.”

The committee also sent letters to San Diego Police Chief Scott Wahl and San Diego County Sheriff Kelly Martinez, putting new pressure on California’s second largest city, which also has deep ties to immigrant communities and a long history of limiting local involvement in federal immigration enforcement. Rep. Darrell Issa, a Republican from San Diego, signed on to these letters with Jordan and McClintock.

About one-quarter of San Diego residents are foreign-born, according to census data, and the city sits just miles from the US-Mexico border.

The letter to Wahl cited San Diego Police Department policy saying officers are “not allowed to ask about immigration status, participate in immigration enforcement[,] or assist with immigration arrests.”


  The department of San Diego Police Chief Scott Wahl is being scrutinized. REUTERS The department of San Diego Police Chief Scott Wahl is being scrutinized. REUTERS

The City of San Diego and the San Diego Police Department are aware of the letter and are reviewing the request for information.

Ashley Nicholes, a spokesperson for the San Diego police chief, confirmed the city is “aware of the letter and are reviewing the request for information.”

The lawmakers also pointed to the San Diego City Council’s unanimous passage in April of the Due Process and Safety Ordinance, which requires a judicial warrant before federal immigration agents can access non-public city property.

The letter to Martinez cited a late-2024 San Diego County ordinance that sought to prohibit county law enforcement from helping ICE with deportations. Martinez previously said her office would follow state law and that county supervisors “do not set policy for the Sheriff’s Office.”

Lt. David Collins, of the sheriff’s office, said that Martinez has not received a letter from the House Judiciary Committee as of Tuesday afternoon.

“The sheriff has been very clear that she follows California state law as it relates to SB 54 and when/if she receives a letter will respond at that time,” Collins told The Post in an email.


  San Diego County Sheriff Kelly Martinez is also being ordered to turn over records to Congress. Getty Images San Diego County Sheriff Kelly Martinez is also being ordered to turn over records to Congress. Getty Images

The committee also highlighted several cases cited by ICE, including the death of 11-year-old Aiden Antonio Torres De Paz, who was chasing a soccer ball when he was struck and killed in November 2025 by a Mexican national who immigration officials said had previously been removed from the country. 

Martinez’s office rejected the ICE detainer request, lawmakers wrote. 

The letter also noted that detainers were rejected for an undocumented immigrant arrested for “willful cruelty to [a] child and assault with deadly weapon using force causing possible great bodily injury,” as well as another individual arrested for “aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and battery on an ex-spouse.”

In just one year, California reportedly refused to honor detainers that “resulted in the release of 4,561 criminal illegal aliens,” with alleged crimes ranging from homicide and robbery to assault.

The California letters are part of a broader Republican offensive against sanctuary cities during Trump’s second term. The committee recently sent similar demands to officials in New York City, Boston, Chicago, Colorado, Los Angeles, Philadelphia and Arlington County, Virginia.

The committee demanded documents and communications about each agency’s interactions with ICE, policies involving non-US citizens, the number of ICE detainers received and declined, and communications with local officials about immigration enforcement.

The agencies were given until June 16 to respond.

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