Despite President Donald Trump’s public promises to crack down on crime in San Francisco, federal enforcement in the city has sharply declined, particularly in prosecuting drug traffickers and gun offenders.

A Reuters analysis of federal court records shows that through November 1, 2025, the number of people charged with federal crimes in northern California — including San Francisco, Oakland, and San Jose — dropped 40% from the same period last year. Charges for drug law violations plunged 50%, to just 137 cases.

Shift to Immigration Enforcement

Nine current and former federal officials said that agents previously dedicated to investigating crimes were reassigned to immigration enforcement, leaving fewer resources to combat fentanyl, gun trafficking, and other criminal activity. The administration initially planned a high-profile deployment of federal agents — and even soldiers — to San Francisco, but that initiative was quietly scaled back after local contacts urged Trump to cancel.

The Justice Department denied that the focus on immigration has impacted other criminal cases, but experts say removing agents from investigative work has reduced the federal deterrent against crime.

Local Crime and Public Safety

San Francisco continues to face a deadly fentanyl crisis, with over 3,200 deaths in the past five years. City police have tried to fill the gap, increasing drug arrests by 20% in the first ten months of 2025, but experts say law enforcement alone cannot stem the crisis. The Tenderloin district remains a hotspot for open drug use and sales, and the city’s police force is operating at 25% below authorized staffing levels.

Residents and health advocates stress that persistent, coordinated federal enforcement is crucial for tackling the high-level networks behind San Francisco’s drug problem.

National Context

The slowdown in federal prosecutions is part of a broader national trend, with a roughly 10% drop in federal drug cases nationwide, the lowest in at least three decades, as resources were shifted to immigration enforcement.

Local officials acknowledge the challenges but note that federal cooperation remains valuable. “We welcome the help we get,” said a San Francisco police spokesperson, while health experts warn that without robust federal support, the city’s drug and crime crisis will persist.