Gov. Newsom says he will sue Trump administration if it sends National Guard to SF

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- President Donald Trump has made his intentions clear in recent weeks that San Francisco is next, testing his executive powers in sending the National Guard to Democratic cities across America.

On Tuesday, Newsom and Attorney General Rob Bonta said the state will file a lawsuit "immediately" if Trump deploys the National Guard to San Francisco.

MORE: ICE, National Guard coming to San Francisco? Here's what we know

It follows repeated comments from the president last week, saying the city is "a mess" and on his target list.

"We don't bow to kings, and we're standing up to this wannabe tyrant," Newsom said in a statement. "The notion that the federal government can deploy troops into our cities with no justification grounded in reality, no oversight, no accountability, no respect for state sovereignty - it's a direct assault on the rule of law."

SF leaders wrestle with response

San Francisco city leaders are wrestling with how to prepare for the possibility that federal troops may be on the ground soon.

During Tuesday's Board of Supervisors meeting, Mayor Daniel Lurie said his administration has been holding regular interdepartmental meetings on the issue.

Lurie said acknowledged that fentanyl is the major problem on the streets, but said sending military troops won't help.

"I am deeply grateful to the members of our military for their service to our country, but the National Guard does not have the authority to arrest drug dealers-and sending them to San Francisco will do nothing to get fentanyl off the streets or make our city safer." "Local law enforcement is best positioned to keep our communities safe," he said.

Supervisor Jackie Fielder pressed the mayor for more specifics, asking what San Francisco's plan is and how Lurie's office is preparing. He didn't offer operational details but emphasized his team is preparing for "a range of scenarios."

MORE: Trump vows federal 'surge' in more American cities to combat crime

Lurie reaffirmed that his administration believes local law enforcement is best equipped to handle the city's public safety challenges, including drug and homelessness issues that Trump has frequently criticized.

Supervisor Matt Dorsey, an ally of the mayor, praised Lurie's measured approach - one that avoids direct confrontation with Trump.

"I try to keep my eyes focused on what I can control. I think Mayor Lurie is in the same category," Dorsey said.

"Showing that Democrats know how to govern and govern effectively - that's the best thing we can do as a Democratic Party and as a city and county of San Francisco."

Lurie's cautious tone is a stark contrast from Newsom's approach, who has escalated his battles with Trump both online and in the courts.

On Monday, U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem said ICE agents will be coming to San Francisco under the direction of President Donald Trump.

Asked whether that posture risks making California a political target, Dorsey pointed instead to Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff for his original comments urging Trump to send in the National Guard to the City by the Bay.

Dorsey said he thinks it was those calls - which Benioff has since walked back - that drew the attention of the commander in chief back to San Francisco.

Several city leaders said they are open to working with the federal government on these issues where appropriate and when needed.

"The National Guard...it's comprised of part-time citizen soldiers," Dorsey said. "They're not really trained to do policing. We should be doing more to support our police department. If the federal government wants to lend resources, we've got some ideas."

For now, what a federal intervention would look like is uncertain - whether it would mirror Washington, D.C., where troops were sent to clear homeless encampments, or Los Angeles and Chicago, where they responded to protests.

On Monday, U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem said ICE agents will be coming to San Francisco under the direction of President Donald Trump, but did not provide further details.