Across the country, cities and states have faced an unprecedented wave of threats to their resiliency. The Trump administration has repeatedly threatened critical federal funding unless they acquiesce to its political agenda. And the administration’s failure to enforce many federal laws is harming vulnerable residents. Under these circumstances, our only option has been to defend ourselves.
Increasing attacks on the rule of law. Before Trump’s re-election, Steve Bannon promised the second administration would move at “muzzle velocity,” the speed of a bullet as it leaves a gun’s barrel. As Trump routinely ignores the rule of law, his administration has set a blistering pace of illegal actions that undercut local government. During the first Trump administration, the San Francisco City Attorney’s Office filed 10 lawsuits in four years. During the first 16 months of the second administration, we’ve filed 16 lawsuits. We’re suing at five times the previous pace — not because we want to, but because we have to.
Undermining local capacity. Every week, the administration quietly places illegal conditions on federal grant funds in an attempt to coerce local jurisdictions to comply with its political objectives. Anti-immigrant, anti-LGBTQ+, anti-reproductive health, anti-DEI, and anti-environmental conditions have been arbitrarily imposed on billions of dollars of funding that San Francisco has historically received for affordable housing and homelessness, health and human services, capital infrastructure, public safety, environmental protection, and education. Two-thirds of my office’s lawsuits have challenged these conditions. Instead of addressing community needs, the administration is choosing to fund ICE’s $85 billion budget, nearly a dozen military operations, a $1.776 billion “Anti-Weaponization Fund” for January 6th rioters, and projects to “renovate” the White House’s East Wing and Lincoln Memorial’s Reflecting Pool.
From fear to fight. Many local jurisdictions have been fearful of challenging these illegal conditions, which is why there has been little public attention to them. During the first six months of the second administration, we were one of only a handful of cities to litigate, as others declined to join our efforts. I often heard from elected officials that while they were grateful for our litigation, they didn’t want to “draw the eye of Sauron.”
But that view has changed. For example, soon after his re-election, Trump threatened all federal funding of sanctuary cities that prohibit police officers from being deputized as ICE agents, which undermines community trust and real public safety. To preserve San Francisco’s $3.7 billion in federal funding, we had to defend ourselves with a lawsuit that began with only four other jurisdictions; today, that lawsuit has 50 plaintiffs. We’re litigating another lawsuit to protect federal funding for Muni, San Francisco International Airport, homelessness services, and public health programs. Our lawsuit began with only eight cities and counties and has now grown to 75. Standing up to a bully isn’t easy, but we are stronger together.
We’re winning. The good news is, thus far, my office has won more than 90 percent of our trial court decisions. Our victories have not only defended our local policies supporting immigrants, the LGBTQ+ community, and civil rights, but also protected billions of dollars of federal funding for housing and homelessness, public safety, climate change programs, healthcare, transportation infrastructure, and schools.
These wins are not unique to San Francisco. Around the country, the judiciary has been the one federal branch to act independently and uphold the rule of law. As we’ve been winning, many cities and counties have asked to join our litigation, particularly after the 2025 Supreme Court ruling in Trump v. CASA, Inc., which limits the power of federal judges to grant relief beyond the jurisdictions of plaintiffs who actively participate in a lawsuit.
Coalitions are important to winning cases. A few years ago, I helped found the California Civil Prosecutors Coalition. This coalition of our state’s largest city attorney and county counsel offices has worked hard to combat attacks by the Trump administration. Additionally, my office has spent many hours sharing the importance of collective action with jurisdictions around the country. Alongside the Public Rights Project, we regularly engage with 100-plus cities and counties committed to local resilience in the face of a hostile administration.
Our victories have not only defended our local policies supporting immigrants, the LGBTQ+ community, and civil rights, but also protected billions of dollars of federal funding for housing and homelessness, public safety, climate change programs, healthcare, transportation infrastructure, and schools.
Stepping into the enforcement breach. The Trump administration’s failure to enforce federal laws that protect consumers, workers, the environment, and civil rights has received scant public attention. These laws are critically important to protect community resiliency. As the administration has quietly closed past federal investigations into wrongdoing and thousands of career attorneys have left government service, enforcement capacity across the federal government has been gutted. This means that state and local law enforcement agencies must step into the breach to prevent bad actors from victimizing our residents, public health, and public safety.
Because the administration stopped regulating the tobacco industry, my office has required tobacco retailers to pay millions of dollars for selling illegal products to minors. Because Republicans cave to the gun lobby, we’re asking judges to issue gun violence restraining orders and are suing distributors of 3D-printed gun blueprints. Because Trump delayed reasonable AI guardrails, we’ve shut down 11 websites that use AI to create nonconsensual deepfake porn. As he props up the oil industry, we’re litigating a groundbreaking lawsuit against fossil fuel companies responsible for climate change. I established our office’s worker protection team, which has delivered almost $30 million for wage theft victims.
The federal government has a fundamental responsibility to provide equitable funding and enforce legal protections. Meeting those obligations requires collaborative partnership, not illegal pressure tactics. At a time when local government is under attack, true resiliency means safeguarding our communities, values, and resources. My office will continue to stand up for San Francisco and lead the way for other cities across the country.