Pelosi Is Now Calling for The Arrest of ICE Agents

SAN FRANCISCO – In a sharp escalation of the long-simmering clash between federal immigration enforcers and state officials, former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has called for local law enforcement in California to arrest U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents if they violate state laws during upcoming raids in the San Francisco Bay Area.

The remarks, issued on October 23, 2025, prompted an immediate and stern rebuke from the Trump administration’s Department of Justice, which warned Pelosi and other Democratic leaders of potential federal prosecution for interfering with law enforcement operations.

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Pelosi, a longtime San Francisco representative, made the comments in a joint statement with fellow Democratic Rep. Kevin Mullin, who represents a neighboring district.

“Our state and local authorities may arrest federal agents if they break California law, and if they are convicted, the president cannot pardon them,” the statement read, emphasizing protections under state statutes that limit federal agents’ actions, such as a September law signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom banning face coverings for law enforcement officials – a measure set to take effect in January 2026 but already fueling disputes.

The lawmakers described reports of a “planned mass immigration raid” in the region as “an appalling abuse of law enforcement power,” adding that “the people of San Francisco stand with our patriotic immigrants who are the constant reinvigoration of America.

We will not be intimidated by politically motivated fear tactics.”

Legal Experts Now Send Warning

The statement came amid heightened federal activity in California, where ICE has ramped up interior enforcement operations since President Donald Trump’s inauguration earlier this year.

These efforts, part of a broader push to deport individuals in the country illegally – with a ‘supposed’ focus on those with criminal records – have drawn widespread criticism from Democratic leaders who argue the tactics sow fear in immigrant communities without addressing root causes.

San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins echoed Pelosi’s stance in a New York Times interview, outlining a strategy developed after observing federal agents’ interactions in Los Angeles and Chicago.

Jenkins said her office would review body camera or bystander footage for instances of “clear, excessive use of force,” identify agents, and seek judicial warrants for arrests and prosecutions.

“For me, this is about San Francisco and what I need to do for San Francisco,” she said, stressing that while she didn’t anticipate street-level handcuffing of agents, the process could lead to courtroom accountability.

Legal experts, however, have cautioned that such actions tread murky constitutional ground.

Erwin Chemerinsky, dean of UC Berkeley’s School of Law, noted that while states can prosecute federal agents for clear violations of state law, they cannot unduly interfere with federal duties like immigration enforcement.

“As long as the ICE agents are acting legally, the state can’t prosecute them and hold them liable, even if it dislikes what they’re doing,” Chemerinsky told the Times.

The Trump administration wasted no time responding.

On October 24, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche sent a formal letter to Pelosi, Jenkins, Gov. Newsom, and state Attorney General Rob Bonta, accusing them of encouraging “efforts to detain federal agents” and labeling any such attempts “illegal and futile.”

The letter demanded they “preserve all written and electronic communications and records related to any attempts or efforts to impede or obstruct federal law enforcement officials” and publicly abandon the threats.

“Stand down or face prosecution,” Blanche posted on X, adding, “No one threatens our agents. No one will stop us from Making America Safe Again.”

Attorney General Pam Bondi amplified the warning during a Fox News appearance the same day, directing her comments squarely at Pelosi.

“Pelosi got a letter today from Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche. So did Brooke Jenkins, that DA in San Francisco,” Bondi said.

“We told them, ‘Preserve your emails. Preserve everything you have on this topic because if you are telling people to arrest our ICE officers, our federal agents, you cannot do that.

You’re impeding an investigation. And we will charge them. If they think I won’t, they have not met me, because we will charge them if they are violating the law.'”

Bondi, a Trump appointee and former Florida attorney general, framed the officials’ rhetoric as “criminal interference,” noting that federal agents continue working without pay amid a partial government shutdown.

Acting U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli in Central California went further, stating, “If you touch our agents, you’ll be arrested,” and vowing, “We will not tolerate threats to arrest federal agents engaged in enforcing immigration laws enacted by Congress.”

DHS Fights Back

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) joined the fray on October 27, condemning Pelosi’s words as endangering agents’ lives.

“Nancy Pelosi’s rhetoric is putting a target on the backs of federal law enforcement officers who are already facing a 1,000% increase in assaults against them,” a DHS spokesperson said in a statement to Blaze Media.

“America’s brave ICE and Border Patrol agents put their lives on the line every day… If politicians/activists don’t like the law, change it. Don’t demonize LEOs.”

Blanche reinforced this on Fox & Friends, saying, “You cannot touch federal agents when they’re doing their job.”

This confrontation is just the latest flashpoint in a year of intensified ICE operations under Trump, which have tripled daily arrest quotas to 3,000 from 1,000, according to sources cited by Reuters in June.

• Federal data shows a surge in detentions: Over 75% of those booked into ICE custody in fiscal year 2025 had no criminal convictions beyond immigration or traffic violations, per a CNN analysis, contradicting administration claims of prioritizing “criminals and criminal illegal aliens.”
• An 807% increase in arrests of immigrants with no criminal history occurred between January and June, Guardian reporting revealed, with tactics shifting to more aggressive sweeps in urban areas.

High-profile incidents have amplified the backlash. In mid-October, ICE raids in Oregon’s Portland area involved agents boxing in vehicles on busy highways and detaining workers at construction sites, prompting lawsuits alleging violations of detainees’ rights to counsel.

A Chicago suburb saw the arrest of Hanover Park police officer Radule Bojovic, accused of being in the U.S. illegally from Montenegro, highlighting how enforcement is ensnaring even local law enforcement.

In Maryland, ICE’s 1,736 arrests through June – averaging nearly 10 per day – included cases like the wrongful deportation of Kilmar Abrego Garcia to El Salvador due to an “administrative error” and the detention of community pastor Daniel Fuentes Espinal en route to work.

Protests have turned volatile. On October 17, at least 15 demonstrators were detained outside Chicago’s Broadview ICE facility after clashes with Illinois state police, with crowds chanting “Who do you protect?” amid reports of helicopters over apartment raids.

In Los Angeles, U.S. citizens like Andrea Velez have been swept up in sweeps, charged with assaulting officers despite video evidence showing otherwise; her case was dismissed after months in limbo.

ProPublica documented over 170 U.S. citizens detained nationwide since January, often dragged away or held for days without contact, including security guard George Retes, who made a frantic Apple Watch call from custody during a July raid on a cannabis farm.

Conditions in ICE facilities have worsened, with 2025 marking the deadliest year for detainees in decades – peaking at levels not seen since 2004, when 32 deaths were recorded, according to NPR.

Reports of overcrowding, poor sanitation, and inadequate medical care have surged alongside a detention population nearing 60,000, the highest in years.

Former ICE officials attribute this to rapid scaling without sufficient oversight or staffing.

On X, the story has ignited partisan fury. Conservative commentator Allie Beth Stuckey, host of BlazeTV’s “Relatable,” featured the exchange on her show, with contributor Ron Simmons calling Pelosi’s statement “appalling” and “borderline treasonous” for impeding federal duties focused on deporting criminals.

Posts from users like @JeffreyWehr4 and @Tucson7511 decried Pelosi as undermining the rule of law, while @theblaze amplified Bondi’s response, garnering thousands of views.

What Happens Next?

As federal operations continue – undeterred, per Blanche – the standoff risks court battles or worse.

Trump, who once labeled San Francisco “woke” and vowed to “make it great again,” called off a specific crackdown there on October 24, but Bay Area leaders remain on edge.

For now, the divide underscores a nation grappling with immigration’s fault lines: federal mandates versus local resistance, enforcement zeal versus humanitarian concerns.

Whether this leads to arrests on either side remains an open – and deeply fraught – question.

Also Read: A DOJ Whistleblower Now Makes Revelation That Undermines the Judicial System’s Integrity

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