ALAMEDA, Calif. — President Donald Trump announced a shift in strategy, deciding against deploying additional federal agents to San Francisco after conversing with the city’s mayor. This decision was made as demonstrators gathered at a U.S. Coast Guard base where federal agents were stationed.

Trump took to social media to share that he had a discussion with Mayor Daniel Lurie on Wednesday night. The mayor informed him of the city’s ongoing efforts to curb crime, which led Trump to agree to allow San Francisco to continue managing the situation independently.

On Thursday, U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents started arriving at Coast Guard Island in Alameda, California. Their presence aimed to bolster federal operations targeting illegal immigration. In response, several hundred protesters, armed with signs opposing the presence of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and federal forces, convened at the base early in the morning.

In an effort to disperse a small group of protesters blocking the entrance, police deployed at least one flash-bang grenade as CBP vehicles made their way through. Protest organizers encouraged a peaceful demonstration while a line of helmeted Coast Guard officers stood watch near the entrance.

Mayor Lurie revealed that Trump had contacted him on Wednesday night to inform him of the decision to halt any federal deployment plans in San Francisco. Lurie also mentioned that Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem confirmed this directive during a conversation on Thursday morning.

It was not clear if the president was canceling a National Guard deployment or calling off immigration enforcement by CBP agents. Lurie’s office did not respond to requests for clarification.

Lurie planned a noon news conference to discuss the situation further.

The San Francisco Chronicle, citing an anonymous source with knowledge of the operation, reported Wednesday that more than 100 CBP and other federal agents would arrive this week. Lurie and California Gov. Gavin Newsom, both Democrats, condemned the move, saying it was meant to provoke violent protests.

Trump has repeatedly said he plans to deploy National Guard troops to San Francisco to quell crime, but his administration hasn’t offered a timeline for doing so. His assertions of out-of-control crime in the city of roughly 830,000 have baffled local and state leaders, who point to statistics showing that many crimes are at record lows.

Trump has deployed the Guard to Washington, D.C., and Memphis, Tennessee, to help fight what he says is rampant crime. Los Angeles was the first city where Trump deployed the Guard, arguing it was necessary to protect federal buildings and agents as protesters fought back against mass immigration arrests.

He has also said they are needed in Chicago and Portland, Oregon. Lawsuits from Democratic officials in both cities have so far blocked troops from going out on city streets.

Coast Guard Island is an artificial island formed in 1913, and the Coast Guard first established a base there in 1926. The island is owned by the federal government and is not open to the general public, so escorts or specific government ID cards are required for visitors. The Coast Guard is part of the Department of Homeland Security, which also houses ICE and CBP.