Lurie to appoint City College trustee Alan Wong to Sunset supervisor seat

‘They’re going to hate this’: Billionaire Tom Steyer jumps into crowded governor’s race

<div class="content-grid article-content"><div class="Metadata_container__fxAzw"><div class="flex flex-row gap-x-md"></div><div class="Metadata_metadata__W_0LF"><span>By <a class="" href="https://sfstandard.com/author/hannah-wiley/">Hannah Wiley</a></span><time datetime="2025-11-19T14:00:00.000Z">Published Nov. 19, 2025 • 6:00am</time></div></div><div class="floats"><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">Billionaire climate activist and former hedge fund manager Tom Steyer announced Wednesday that he is running for California governor, becoming the most prominent San Franciscan to join the crowded 2026 field. </p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">In a video announcing his campaign, Steyer, 68, a <a href="https://time.com/6980235/tom-steyer-climate-activism/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">climate activist<span class="sr-only"> (opens in new tab)</span></a> who earned his fortune as the founder of Farallon Capital and his fame as an advocate for President Donald Trump’s impeachment, focused on California’s affordability crisis and pledged to solve the problems he attributes to rising costs, including the housing shortage and corporations not paying their “fair share.” </p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">“The richest people in America think that they earned everything themselves. Bullshit, man,” Steyer said in the video. “That’s so ridiculous.”</p></div><div class="!p-0 !m-0"></div><div class="floats"><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">A liberal Democrat who last ventured into politics with a <u><a href="https://www.npr.org/2020/02/29/801952931/tom-steyer-to-drop-out-of-2020-presidential-race" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">2020 bid for president<span class="sr-only"> (opens in new tab)</span></a></u>, Steyer was long expected to join the race to replace Gov. Gavin Newsom, who terms out of office next year. </p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">The field includes high-profile Democrats such as former Orange County Rep. Katie Porter, former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, and former California Attorney General Xavier Becerra, as well as Republicans <u><a data-post-id="ce1e6ef5-3a20-4102-a0c1-575c72beedbc" href="https://sfstandard.com/2025/02/16/steve-hilton-california-governor-doge-elon-musk/">Steve Hilton</a></u>, a former Fox News host, and Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco. </p></div><div class="floats"><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">Current candidates were quick to criticize Steyer, with contenders from both parties focusing on his wealth. </p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">Porter, who is considered a frontrunner in the race, noted that Steyer was promising to crack down on industries that she claims made him money. </p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">“A new billionaire in our race claims he’ll fight the very industries he got rich helping grow — fossil fuel companies, tobacco, and private immigration detention facilities — at great cost to Californians,” Porter wrote in a <a href="https://x.com/katieporteroc/status/1991233723296014742" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">social media post<span class="sr-only"> (opens in new tab)</span></a>. “I call bullshit.”</p></div><div class="!p-0 !m-0"></div><div class="floats"><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">“The last thing California needs is a billionaire ‘climate’ fanatic who wants more of the same ‘climate’ elitism that gave us the highest gas prices, electric bills, and housing costs in America,” Hilton said in a statement. </p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">Steyer’s deep pockets make him an easy target, but they’re also what could render him a formidable candidate. He’ll have endless cash to prop up his campaign and finance the advertising necessary to increase his name ID in large swaths of the state that might be unfamiliar with his activism. </p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">Steyer over the last 15 years has championed several California ballot measure campaigns that took aim at oil companies, big corporations, and the tobacco industry. </p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">“I wanted to build a business here. Now it’s worth billions of dollars. And I walked away from it because I wanted to give back to California,” he said in his announcement. </p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">He most recently dumped <u><a href="https://www.latimes.com/politics/story/2025-10-09/billionaire-tom-steyer-12-million-support-november-redistricting-ballot-measure" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">$12 million<span class="sr-only"> (opens in new tab)</span></a></u> into the effort to pass Newsom’s redistricting measure Proposition 50 in the Nov. 4 special election. His efforts rankled some within his party, who saw the spending as a self-serving <u><a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2025/10/16/tom-steyer-infuriating-democrats-again-00612185" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">attention grab<span class="sr-only"> (opens in new tab)</span></a></u> in preparation for a likely campaign announcement.  </p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">Steyer said his goals are to make it easier to live in the Golden State, and he promised to drive a housing boom and lower electricity costs by breaking up the “monopolistic power of utilities,” while bolstering the state’s education system. </p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">“Let’s get down to brass tacks,” he said. “Californians deserve a life they can afford. But the Californians who make this state run are being run over by the cost of living. We need to get back to basics.” </p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">As someone with a history of disrupting the Democratic status quo, Steyer said he would take on Sacramento politicians who are “afraid to change up the system.” </p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">“I’m not,” he said. “They’re going to hate this.”</p></div></div>

Conservatives descended on UC Berkeley. Now the feds are investigating

<div class="content-grid article-content"><div class="Metadata_container__fxAzw"><div class="flex flex-row gap-x-md"></div><div class="Metadata_metadata__W_0LF"><span>By <a class="" href="https://sfstandard.com/author/gabriel-greschler/">Gabe Greschler</a></span><time datetime="2025-11-11T23:24:46.846Z">Published Nov. 11, 2025 • 3:24pm</time></div></div><div class="floats"><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">Protests that erupted Monday in response to the conservative political group Turning Point USA’s event at UC Berkeley have caught the attention of President Donald Trump’s Department of Justice.</p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">On Tuesday, Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon launched an investigation into the demonstrations, describing them in an X <a href="https://x.com/AAGDhillon/status/1988361125684007147?s=20" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">post<span class="sr-only"> (opens in new tab)</span></a> as “mob assault and thuggish intimidation” of the event attendees exercising their right to free speech.</p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">Dhillon’s Civil Rights Division will be probing “potential failures at UC Berkeley and any who enabled such violence,” she said on X.</p></div><div class="!p-0 !m-0"></div><figure class="ImageBlock_ImageFigure__ZnquR inset-image mobile-grid-full mobile-grid-full" data-align="none"><div class="relative"><div><img alt="A man with a bloodied face wearing a red “FREEDOM” shirt is being held by multiple police officers in helmets and tactical gear." class="block lazyloaded" data-nimg="1" decoding="async" height="3592" loading="lazy" sizes="(min-width: 1001px) 600px, (min-width: 768px) 700px, 100vw" src="https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_4hnv2195ad4hvca26fg77blm6d/-S3840x2560-FPNG" srcset="https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_4hnv2195ad4hvca26fg77blm6d/-S640x427-FPNG 640w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_4hnv2195ad4hvca26fg77blm6d/-S750x500-FPNG 750w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_4hnv2195ad4hvca26fg77blm6d/-S768x512-FPNG 768w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_4hnv2195ad4hvca26fg77blm6d/-S828x552-FPNG 828w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_4hnv2195ad4hvca26fg77blm6d/-S1024x683-FPNG 1024w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_4hnv2195ad4hvca26fg77blm6d/-S1080x720-FPNG 1080w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_4hnv2195ad4hvca26fg77blm6d/-S1200x800-FPNG 1200w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_4hnv2195ad4hvca26fg77blm6d/-S1920x1280-FPNG 1920w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_4hnv2195ad4hvca26fg77blm6d/-S2048x1365-FPNG 2048w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_4hnv2195ad4hvca26fg77blm6d/-S3840x2560-FPNG 3840w" style="color:transparent;background-size:cover;background-position:50% 50%;background-repeat:no-repeat;background-image:url(&quot;data:image/svg+xml;charset=utf-8,%3Csvg xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2000/svg' viewBox='0 0 5388 3592'%3E%3Cfilter id='b' color-interpolation-filters='sRGB'%3E%3CfeGaussianBlur stdDeviation='20'/%3E%3CfeColorMatrix values='1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 100 -1' result='s'/%3E%3CfeFlood x='0' y='0' width='100%25' height='100%25'/%3E%3CfeComposite operator='out' in='s'/%3E%3CfeComposite in2='SourceGraphic'/%3E%3CfeGaussianBlur stdDeviation='20'/%3E%3C/filter%3E%3Cimage width='100%25' height='100%25' x='0' y='0' preserveAspectRatio='none' style='filter: url(%23b);' href='data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw=='/%3E%3C/svg%3E&quot;)" width="5388"/></div></div><figcaption class="basis-full mt-[10px] text-xs text-gray-550 font-inter leading-[18px]">Protests broke out Monday at the Turning Point USA event at UC Berkeley’s campus.<span class="image-caption-divider"> | </span><span class="image-credit"><span class="sr-only">Source: </span>Jungho Kim for The Standard</span></figcaption></figure><div class="floats"><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">The demonstrations against the event, which hosted conservative figures including actor Rob Schneider, led to several arrests. Four students were <a href="https://www.dailycal.org/news/campus/4-uc-berkeley-students-arrested-on-felony-vandalism-charges-for-anti-tpusa-art-installation/article_c65ad4c0-2c69-4d6f-b630-ba111573fd5a.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">taken into custody<span class="sr-only"> (opens in new tab)</span></a> earlier in the day for trying to install an anti-Turning Point USA art installation. Another <a href="https://www.dailycal.org/news/campus/3-arrested-in-violent-altercation-ahead-of-tpusa-event-at-uc-berkeley/article_ed9bd581-bef3-46d1-b175-814db25835ba.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">three<span class="sr-only"> (opens in new tab)</span></a> were arrested amidst the protests, two for a physical fight and another for attempting to cross a barrier.</p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">The conservative group was founded by the late political activist Charlie Kirk and advocates for right-wing policies on college campuses. Kirk was assassinated by a gunman in September.</p></div><div class="floats"><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">In a Tuesday letter addressed to UC Berkeley, Dhillon requested communications from the university’s board members and campus administrators related to the Turning Point event, policies and manuals about campus speakers, and all video and audio recordings by the school of the protests on Monday.</p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">Dhillon said she was investigating whether the school violated the University of California’s commitment to provide adequate security for the event in response to a 2018 settlement involving another conservative group. The law firm Dhillon founded sued UC Berkeley in 2016 over allegations of suppressing conservative speech on campus.</p></div><div class="!p-0 !m-0"></div><figure class="ImageBlock_ImageFigure__ZnquR inset-image mobile-grid-full mobile-grid-full" data-align="none"><div class="relative"><div><img alt="A crowd of protesters holding signs like “ABOLISH ICE” and “NO PATIENTS IN SPACE” faces a line of police officers in riot gear at night." class="block lazyloaded" data-nimg="1" decoding="async" height="3319" loading="lazy" sizes="(min-width: 1001px) 600px, (min-width: 768px) 700px, 100vw" src="https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_oc2dncs3nh6encmk333al9rs6s/-S3840x2560-FPNG" srcset="https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_oc2dncs3nh6encmk333al9rs6s/-S640x427-FPNG 640w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_oc2dncs3nh6encmk333al9rs6s/-S750x500-FPNG 750w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_oc2dncs3nh6encmk333al9rs6s/-S768x512-FPNG 768w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_oc2dncs3nh6encmk333al9rs6s/-S828x552-FPNG 828w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_oc2dncs3nh6encmk333al9rs6s/-S1024x683-FPNG 1024w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_oc2dncs3nh6encmk333al9rs6s/-S1080x720-FPNG 1080w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_oc2dncs3nh6encmk333al9rs6s/-S1200x800-FPNG 1200w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_oc2dncs3nh6encmk333al9rs6s/-S1920x1280-FPNG 1920w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_oc2dncs3nh6encmk333al9rs6s/-S2048x1365-FPNG 2048w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_oc2dncs3nh6encmk333al9rs6s/-S3840x2560-FPNG 3840w" style="color:transparent;background-size:cover;background-position:50% 50%;background-repeat:no-repeat;background-image:url(&quot;data:image/svg+xml;charset=utf-8,%3Csvg xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2000/svg' viewBox='0 0 4978 3319'%3E%3Cfilter id='b' color-interpolation-filters='sRGB'%3E%3CfeGaussianBlur stdDeviation='20'/%3E%3CfeColorMatrix values='1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 100 -1' result='s'/%3E%3CfeFlood x='0' y='0' width='100%25' height='100%25'/%3E%3CfeComposite operator='out' in='s'/%3E%3CfeComposite in2='SourceGraphic'/%3E%3CfeGaussianBlur stdDeviation='20'/%3E%3C/filter%3E%3Cimage width='100%25' height='100%25' x='0' y='0' preserveAspectRatio='none' style='filter: url(%23b);' href='data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw=='/%3E%3C/svg%3E&quot;)" width="4978"/></div></div><figcaption class="basis-full mt-[10px] text-xs text-gray-550 font-inter leading-[18px]">Turning Point USA advocates for conservative policies at college campuses.<span class="image-caption-divider"> | </span><span class="image-credit"><span class="sr-only">Source: </span>Jungho Kim for The Standard</span></figcaption></figure><div class="floats"><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">"We are also determining whether recent events provide a basis for additional investigation of violations of federal rights, including, without limitation, violations of the First and Fourteenth Amendments to the United States Constitution,” Dhillon wrote.</p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">UC Berkeley spokesperson Dan Mogulof declined to comment. He noted that while the letter was addressed to UC Berkeley, it names James Milliken as a respondent, who is actually the president of the University of California system.</p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">Dhillon <a href="https://sfstandard.com/sf-100/profile/harmeet-dhillon/">previously</a> worked as an employment lawyer in San Francisco but has since become a prominent figure within the Trump administration’s Department of Justice. </p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">Since his inauguration, Trump has been quick to target universities for what he perceives as bastions of left-wing ideology and activism.</p></div></div>

Lowell High bars pro-Israel speaker invited by Jewish student club

<div class="content-grid article-content"><div class="Metadata_container__fxAzw"><div class="Metadata_metadata__W_0LF"><span>By <a class="" href="https://sfstandard.com/author/ezra-wallach/">Ezra Wallach</a></span><time datetime="2025-10-30T22:20:34.335Z">Updated Oct. 30, 2025 • 3:20pm</time><time datetime="2025-10-30T21:16:00.647Z">Published Oct. 30, 2025 • 2:16pm</time></div></div><div class="floats"><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">Lowell High School has barred a Yemen-born activist and journalist from meeting with the campus’ Jewish club, claiming it was not given enough warning about his appearance. </p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">Luai Ahmed, who lives in Sweden, is an openly gay Muslim man who regularly writes on Jewish-Muslim relations and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. On <u><a href="https://www.instagram.com/justluai/?hl=en" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">his Instagram account<span class="sr-only"> (opens in new tab)</span></a></u>, which has more than 300,000 followers, Ahmed regularly posts videos decrying antisemitism and radical Islam.</p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">Ahmed, who is on a nationwide speaking tour, had been invited to speak to Lowell High School’s “Jew Crew” student group on Nov. 4.</p></div><div class="!p-0 !m-0"></div><div class="floats"><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">A club member filled out a form this week asking the school for approval, but in an Oct. 30 email obtained by The Standard, Assistant Principal Isaac Alcantar denied the request. “If a speaker is not vetted, we could land in a situation where what they say may impact members of our community in a way that the group/staff had not intended,” Alcantar wrote to the club.</p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">Alcantar said the students had not given administrators the requisite five-day notice and that school officials need to review a presenter’s slides before an appearance.</p></div><div class="floats"><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">The club member responded that she submitted a form seeking speaker approval Oct. 28, a week prior to the scheduled event. She wrote that Ahmed wouldn’t be using slides and could not provide the presentation in advance.</p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">“The students in Jew Crew, and many others that [are] interested in coming, desperately need a way to ask questions, create dialogue, and learn from diverse opinions,” the student wrote. “Preventing this from happening is counter to what Lowell stands for.”</p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">Alcantar had not responded to that email by publication time. When The Standard reached Ahmed on Thursday afternoon, he was unaware that the Lowell event had been canceled.</p></div><div class="!p-0 !m-0"></div><div class="floats"><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">“Students deserve to hear voices that challenge them to think critically about propaganda, identity, and moral courage,” Ahmed <u><a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1wBtzWbl1CfC7Uq6i_h7_24HdjfLXKFxspWraeS1FIlE/edit?usp=sharing" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">wrote.<span class="sr-only"> (opens in new tab)</span></a></u> “Silencing or postponing such conversations does not protect students, it deprives them of the chance to confront reality. How many gay Muslim Arabs who grew up under Islamic theocracy and dictatorship do your students get to listen to?”</p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">Lowell was not the only Bay Area high school to cancel an event with Ahmed this week.</p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">Ahmed had been slated to speak Thursday at Alameda High School at an event titled “Beyond Labels: A Journey from Extremism to Empathy,” but administrators postponed the appearance after a pro-Palestine activist group objected. </p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">Alameda Families &amp; Friends for Collective Liberation, working with the Arab Resource and Organizing Center and the Council on American-Islamic Relations, launched a <u><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DQaP3ZUEtwk/?hl=en&amp;img_index=1" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">social media campaign<span class="sr-only"> (opens in new tab)</span></a></u> to stop the “self-proclaimed Zionist” from speaking on campus.</p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">The groups accused Ahmed of engaging in “pinkwashing,” using his identity as a gay man to “project a progressive image of certain communities while vilifying Islam as inherently queerphobic.”</p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">Alameda High School officials sent out a notice Wednesday stating that Ahmed would not be making a presentation until they had an “opportunity to learn more about the speaker and the subject matter,” according to a screenshot of the <u><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DQa9bUEEScw/?hl=en&amp;img_index=1" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">email posted on social media<span class="sr-only"> (opens in new tab)</span></a></u>.</p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">The Alameda Unified School District confirmed to The Standard that Ahmed’s talk had been postponed. “This falls under our board policy on controversial issues,” AUSD Senior Manager for Community Affairs Susan Davis said. “We want to make sure the principal knows that it’s happening and that there’s alternative viewpoints.</p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">Prior to the postponement, Ahmed commented on an Instagram post from the community groups, encouraging members to come to the event to engage in dialogue. Ahmed met with students Tuesday at Hillel of Silicon Valley. </p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">“Come and learn, ask questions — I am willing to answer,” he wrote.</p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">The cancellations come amid controversies over antisemitic content in California school curricula. The San Francisco Unified School District this year revoked its <u><a data-post-id="ca0e65b0-2b64-439e-b9aa-175f7a85f841" href="https://sfstandard.com/2025/05/30/sfusd-new-ethnic-studies-mandate/">ethnic studies</a></u> curriculum over concerns about its characterization of Israel and omission of Jewish identity.</p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">In a <u><a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/15t4AOHmKZo5gBLx2zomW40aV8qoNJpkf/view?usp=sharing" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">report released this month<span class="sr-only"> (opens in new tab)</span></a></u> by the California Department of Education, the Oakland Unified School District was found to have “contributed to a discriminatory environment for Jewish students and staff” by organizing districtwide teach-ins about Palestine and flying a Palestinian flag on campus.</p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">Lianne Gensler, parent of a Jew Crew member at Lowell, said the administration’s decision to cancel Ahmed’s appearance reflects a double standard applied to Jewish students. </p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">“I am frankly shocked and dismayed that our progressive school, which should be fostering open dialogue and critical thought, is instead silencing voices that speak against extremism,” she wrote in an email to Lowell’s principal, Jan Bautista.</p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">SFUSD spokesperson Laura Dudnick said that Lowell “is still considering the most appropriate path forward for this student club-sponsored event.”<br/><br/>“Administrators are obligated to conduct due diligence when evaluating potential guest speakers,” she said, “particularly with regard to student safety and the integrity of the learning environment.”</p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left"><i>Correction: An earlier version of this article incorrectly stated that an Oct. 7 event hosted at Lowell, “Remembrance for the Martyrs of Palestine,” had not been canceled.</i></p></div></div>

Charlie Kirk had college students hooked. Here’s what they’re saying in group chats

SF parents want a Mandarin charter school. They have to get past the unions first


<p>When it came time for Brian Hollinger to send his kids to school, he knew exactly where they’d go.</p>



<p>Hollinger and his wife, Yunita Tjhai, who is of Indonesian and Chinese descent, wanted their three sons to grow up fluent in Mandarin. They enrolled the eldest two in a Mandarin-immersion program at Starr King Elementary School in Potrero Hill, available to only a handful of students in the San Francisco Unified School District.&nbsp;</p>



<p>The immersion program has paid off.&nbsp;</p>



<p>“My boys are off the charts,” Hollinger said. “People think Chinese is their mother tongue. It’s my proudest accomplishment as a parent.”</p>



<p>Hollinger knows his kids are lucky. Starr King is one of only two elementary schools and one middle school in the San Francisco Unified School District that provide Mandarin-immersion courses.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Hollinger sees an opportunity to change that. In recent months, he and a group of parents and educators organized a petition to open a K-8 public Mandarin-immersion school in a city where more than 180,000 residents identify as Chinese and private Mandarin schools have grown in popularity. More than 200 parents and 10 teachers signed the petition, according to the coalition.&nbsp;</p>



<p>But Hollinger chose a politically challenging path.&nbsp;</p>



<p>The coalition wants to open <a href="https://www.dragongateacademy.org/">Dragon Gate Academy</a> as a charter school —&nbsp;a controversial idea in union-friendly San Francisco.&nbsp;</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" height="1668" width="2500" src="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/9195008193_chineseschool_041.jpg?w=2500" alt="A person in a light blue shirt and jeans stands with hands in pockets on a street with cars lined up, near a traditional green-roofed archway." class="wp-image-406055" srcset="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/9195008193_chineseschool_041.jpg 3000w, https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/9195008193_chineseschool_041.jpg?resize=300,200 300w, https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/9195008193_chineseschool_041.jpg?resize=768,512 768w, https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/9195008193_chineseschool_041.jpg?resize=2500,1668 2500w, https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/9195008193_chineseschool_041.jpg?resize=1536,1025 1536w, https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/9195008193_chineseschool_041.jpg?resize=2048,1366 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 2500px) 100vw, 2500px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Hollinger, who has three sons, is leading the effort to launch Dragon Gate Academy.</figcaption></figure>



<p>SFUSD oversees 13 charter schools, few compared with public school districts in other major California cities. The Board of Education hasn’t approved a new charter school in more than a decade, while the state Legislature has in recent years passed laws that make it increasingly difficult <a href="https://www.politico.com/states/california/story/2019/12/18/charter-school-war-to-resume-as-lawmakers-plan-new-round-of-restrictions-1233464">for charters to open and operate in California</a>.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Dragon Gate Academy would receive both state and local funding as a public charter school, though it’s unclear how much it would cost to open. Hollinger said it’s likely the new academy would pay rent to the district by using an existing school site with available space. The coalition leading the campaign has a website that identifies at least four possible sites across the city.&nbsp;</p>



<p>SFUSD officials have hinted at their opposition to Dragon Gate Academy amid concerns from labor groups representing educators.&nbsp;</p>



<p>But Hollinger is undeterred. The coalition on Monday filed a formal proposal with the district to open Dragon Gate Academy, kicking off a 60-day review period. The board will hold public hearings on the proposal before voting on it.&nbsp;</p>



<p>The group behind Dragon Gate Academy wants to open the school by August 2026, according to their website. If the application is denied, the coalition said, it would appeal the decision to the state Board of Education.&nbsp;</p>



<p>&#8220;To the doubters, we say, ‘Yes we can,’” Hollinger said during a press conference Tuesday at the district’s downtown headquarters. &#8220;We’re moving forward with unstoppable urgency.”</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-high-demand-for-mandarin-instruction">High demand for Mandarin instruction</h2>



<p>San Francisco has several private schools that provide full <a href="https://sfstandard.com/2024/09/09/private-chinese-mandarin-schools-san-francisco/">Mandarin-immersion instruction</a>. Those schools are popular among affluent families that see Mandarin instruction as a valuable opportunity in an increasingly globalized world.</p>



<p>In contrast, thousands of SFUSD students have to compete for only dozens of slots in Mandarin programs.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" height="1667" width="2500" src="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/20231223-chinatownhistorydigitize-01.jpg?w=2500" alt="A hand rests on an open book with handwritten Chinese characters. The page margins are red, and the hand wears a ring and bracelet." class="wp-image-235055" srcset="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/20231223-chinatownhistorydigitize-01.jpg 3456w, https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/20231223-chinatownhistorydigitize-01.jpg?resize=300,200 300w, https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/20231223-chinatownhistorydigitize-01.jpg?resize=768,512 768w, https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/20231223-chinatownhistorydigitize-01.jpg?resize=2500,1667 2500w, https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/20231223-chinatownhistorydigitize-01.jpg?resize=1536,1024 1536w, https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/20231223-chinatownhistorydigitize-01.jpg?resize=2048,1365 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 2500px) 100vw, 2500px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">A volunteer scans a document, dated 1941, from the Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association.</figcaption></figure>



<p>Starr King Elementary offers a Mandarin-immersion program to 26 native speakers in each grade. Another 18 seats are reserved in each grade for non-native speakers, according to district data.</p>



<p>Jose Ortega Elementary School in Ingleside provides a similar immersion program to 13 native speakers and nine non-native speakers in every grade, with dozens more on waiting lists.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Aptos Middle School, also in the Ingleside area, offers a combined 66 seats for programs at each grade level that serve both native and non-native speakers.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Jose Ortega’s Mandarin programs <a href="https://sfstandard.com/2025/03/26/sf-public-schools-ranking-admissions/">rank among the top five</a> most competitive of SFUSD’s 108 kindergarten programs, according to an analysis by The Standard.</p>



<p>The district also runs one Cantonese immersion school, which teaches the Chinese language that is preferred by <a href="https://sfstandard.com/2022/01/06/sfs-chinese-community-struggles-to-save-cantonese-as-mandarin-takes-over/">many immigrants in San Francisco</a> but not spoken as widely as Mandarin.</p>



<p>Those who support Dragon Gate Academy see it as a way to fill the gaps and ensure more kids have access to Mandarin education.</p>



<p>“Too many students have been denied access to Mandarin immersion education because SFUSD has not prioritized its expansion,” Susan Fong Wong, a member of the Dragon Gate coalition, said in a statement. “This new school will offer that exceptional education many seek.”</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-political-minefield">A political minefield</h2>



<p>The debate around charter schools in California revolves largely around funding and employment. Charter schools receive public money but generally operate independently from the district. They typically employ nonunion teachers, a major issue in San Francisco, with its powerful teachers union. </p>



<p>Board President Phil Kim, a former charter school educator, and Superintendent Maria Su are working on a separate plan to open a district-run Mandarin immersion school by 2027 — what many see as a thinly veiled attempt to persuade Hollinger to abandon his plans for Dragon Gate Academy.</p>



<p>“SFUSD has an opportunity to expand its offerings for language immersion programs to attract and retain students and families, but also to provide robust instructional offerings that support our student outcome goals,” Kim said in a statement. “Our focus is on SFUSD. And we welcome anyone who wants to partner with us in service of kids and student outcomes.&#8221;</p>



<p>But with SFUSD facing a dire financial crisis that could force layoffs and school closures, it’s unclear when any new district-run immersion school would open.&nbsp;</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" height="1668" width="2500" src="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/8558191580_sfusdpresser_001.jpg?w=2500" alt="A person with short hair and glasses stands behind a podium with microphones, wearing a suit and a pink shirt, looking serious. An American flag is blurred in the background." class="wp-image-371817" srcset="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/8558191580_sfusdpresser_001.jpg 3000w, https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/8558191580_sfusdpresser_001.jpg?resize=300,200 300w, https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/8558191580_sfusdpresser_001.jpg?resize=768,512 768w, https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/8558191580_sfusdpresser_001.jpg?resize=2500,1668 2500w, https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/8558191580_sfusdpresser_001.jpg?resize=1536,1025 1536w, https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/8558191580_sfusdpresser_001.jpg?resize=2048,1366 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 2500px) 100vw, 2500px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">School board president Phil Kim is working on a competing plan to open a district-run Mandarin immersion school by 2027.</figcaption></figure>



<p>Josh Davidson, a representative of Service Employees International Union 1021 and a chef for SFUSD Student Nutrition Services, said his union is firmly against the expansion of charter schools.</p>



<p>“At a time when leaders at the SFUSD are starting again to raise the possibility of <a href="https://sfstandard.com/2024/10/08/school-closure-list-sfusd/">public school closures</a>, we are deeply concerned that these closures may pave the way for the privatization of public spaces through charter conversions,” Davidson said in a statement.</p>



<p>The United Educators of San Francisco has similarly come out against the new charter.&nbsp;</p>



<p>“It is understandable that families are demanding quality language programs from SFUSD,” the union said in a statement. “UESF is happy to work with families to expand the services our public schools offer. This also means the union will advocate to keep all the resources for our public schools.”</p>



<p>Margaret Lee, a retired educator and a member of UESF who supports the Dragon Gate proposal, disputes the idea that the charter school’s proponents are anti-union. She said she and others in the Dragon Gate coalition are committed to providing union-level protections for teachers at their school.</p>



<p>“For the employees who work for our Dragon Gate Academy, they will have the same rights and benefits,” Lee said.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Hollinger is resolute, despite the mounting opposition to his proposed school.&nbsp;</p>



<p>“We’re undaunted,” he said. “Parents and children in the district are saying this is something that we want.&#8221;</p>


Ideology or education? New ethnic studies class has parents mad

‘Pain in the neck’: SF parents share summer camp survival tips


<p>For Sevda Gundogan, planning summer activities for her two children is an endurance test. With more than 100 programs and activities offered across San Francisco, the breadth of summer camps is overwhelming.</p>



<p>“My kids are out of school for 14 weeks a year,” said Gundogan, who lives in the Sunset neighborhood. “It’s always very difficult to plan for school breaks.”</p>



<p>Even with dozens of options, it was a headache to find camps that fit her family’s specific needs: the right age ranges and extended hours, staying open as late as 5 p.m. to accommodate her full-time job. When she did find options, they were often already full. Even when she managed to enroll her children, they sometimes came home after the first day not wanting to return because they didn’t have friends there.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" height="1668" width="2500" src="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/9070742868_summercampmadness_478.jpg?w=2500" alt="A woman and a child stand against a building with large windows, surrounded by bushes. The child leans playfully on the woman, both smiling outdoors." class="wp-image-396737" srcset="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/9070742868_summercampmadness_478.jpg 3000w, https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/9070742868_summercampmadness_478.jpg?resize=300,200 300w, https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/9070742868_summercampmadness_478.jpg?resize=768,512 768w, https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/9070742868_summercampmadness_478.jpg?resize=2500,1668 2500w, https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/9070742868_summercampmadness_478.jpg?resize=1536,1025 1536w, https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/9070742868_summercampmadness_478.jpg?resize=2048,1366 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 2500px) 100vw, 2500px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Gundogan and her 5-year-old son, Atlas Prowse, at West Sunset Park Playground.</figcaption></figure>



<p>As the school year winds down, parents are racing to map out their kids’ summer schedules, week by week, in an annual ritual that can be nerve-racking, disruptive, and expensive. There’s a sprawling mix of camps — offered by the city, nonprofits, and private organizations — offering activities related to art, nature, sports, and academics. But camp providers have little coordination on the signup process and opening times, leaving families scrambling to patch together schedules that accommodate caregivers’ jobs.</p>



<p>Some parents have stepped up to help others navigate the chaos. They share tips, coordinate carpools, juggle their children’s interests, and try to stay on budget, turning the competitive sport of summer-camp planning into a cooperative one.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-pain-in-the-neck">‘Pain in the neck’</h2>



<p>Emily Moriarty de Ayora describes the camp registration process as “a pain in the neck.” She has to consider the needs of her three children, each with different interests and age requirements, and, of course, the cost: Some camps cost as much as $1,000 per week, and options for young kids are limited.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" height="2500" width="1667" src="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/inlined03_20240705-parentschoolclosure.jpg?w=1667" alt="A woman sits at a table, engaging in a playdough activity with children. The table is covered with colorful playdough and various shaping tools." class="wp-image-290232" srcset="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/inlined03_20240705-parentschoolclosure.jpg 5152w, https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/inlined03_20240705-parentschoolclosure.jpg?resize=200,300 200w, https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/inlined03_20240705-parentschoolclosure.jpg?resize=768,1152 768w, https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/inlined03_20240705-parentschoolclosure.jpg?resize=1667,2500 1667w, https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/inlined03_20240705-parentschoolclosure.jpg?resize=1024,1536 1024w, https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/inlined03_20240705-parentschoolclosure.jpg?resize=1365,2048 1365w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1667px) 100vw, 1667px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Emily Moriarty de Ayora, who has three kids, considers herself an expert on camp planning.</figcaption></figure>



<p>But after six years of managing camp logistics, she considers herself an expert.</p>



<p>“I have a spreadsheet with all of the summer weeks down one side, and then three kids across the top,” de Ayora said. “And then I just go week by week, filling it up.”</p>



<p>Some of the most sought-after camps are the relatively affordable options provided by the city.</p>



<p>The Recreation and Parks Department <a href="https://sfrecpark.org/DocumentCenter/View/25490/2025-Day-Camp-Catalog">offers nearly 9,500 camp slots</a> featuring activities such as swimming, biking, and science lessons, and 9,212 for this summer have been filled. The most popular camps tend to fill up within minutes after registration opens in March, though waitlists are available, and spots often open up before summer begins.&nbsp;</p>



<p>The cheapest camps start at $40 a week for swimming lessons; some of the most expensive — such as the Randall Museum’s art, science, and technology day camp, <a href="https://anc.apm.activecommunities.com/sfrecpark/activity/search?onlineSiteId=0&amp;activity_select_param=2&amp;viewMode=list">which is fully booked for 2025</a> — cost $880 per week. Other popular options include the Silver Tree camp in Glen Canyon, which has a weekly cost of $300 for ages 6–11 and $400 for ages 12–14.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Several nonprofits <a href="https://www.sf.gov/summer-programs-for-children-and-youth">funded by the Department of Children, Youth and Their Families</a> — such as the YMCA, Community Youth Center, and Boys &amp; Girls Clubs of San Francisco — offer more budget-friendly options, with sliding-scale pricing based on family income.</p>



<p>The San Francisco Unified School District also offers a variety of summer programs designed to support students’ academic, social, and emotional development. The district is working to expand access to its popular summer geometry class for high school students.</p>



<p>Then there are the luxury camps. Some specialized dance and theater programs can cost up to $1,400 for 10 days.</p>



<p>“I let each kid pick a camp that&#8217;s maybe a little bit more expensive,” de Ayora said. “I try to mix the camp so that there are some inexpensive, low-key ones.”&nbsp;</p>



<p>De Ayora started the summer planning process late last year. But she said the Recreation and Parks Department camps didn&#8217;t open for registration until March, which adds to the uncertainty: Registration windows vary for the different camps, meaning the process of booking your kids’ summer can drag out for months.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Some parents have taken matters into their own hands, creating databases to organize the options and share information with other families.&nbsp;</p>



<p>De Ayora consults a <a href="https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1XhJnHqu3eXCw3E8vxdo-yitFulE-yh0vk6oIOwpa4RA/edit?gid=1602356659#gid=1602356659">database</a> curated by real estate agent Sherri Howe, which lists more than 100 local camps, such as the San Francisco Zoo’s <a href="https://www.sfzoo.org/conservation-camp/">Conservation Camp</a>, with a focus on wildlife and hands-on art and science. Other parents use the site <a href="https://www.activityhero.com/">ActivityHero to check program availability.</a></p>



<figure class="wp-block-image alignwide size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" height="1667" width="2500" src="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/20241203-pandahome_0092.jpg?w=2500" alt="Three people stand silhouetted against a misty, tree-filled landscape, looking out over a grassy area framed by large trees and scattered rocks." class="wp-image-339237" srcset="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/20241203-pandahome_0092.jpg 3000w, https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/20241203-pandahome_0092.jpg?resize=300,200 300w, https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/20241203-pandahome_0092.jpg?resize=768,512 768w, https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/20241203-pandahome_0092.jpg?resize=2500,1667 2500w, https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/20241203-pandahome_0092.jpg?resize=1536,1024 1536w, https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/20241203-pandahome_0092.jpg?resize=2048,1365 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 2500px) 100vw, 2500px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">The San Francisco Zoo offers a summer program focused on wildlife.</figcaption></figure>



<p>For Gundogan, a former tech worker, frustration motivated her to launch her own business. In March, she founded a startup called <a href="https://campscamp.com/camps">CampScamp</a>, which helps parents find and filter information through a centralized, searchable database.</p>



<p>She described herself — and many other parents — as experiencing “decision fatigue” due to the overwhelming number of options. Her goal is to help families narrow them down.</p>



<p>“I learned the hard way,” she said. “When a parent visits our platform, we ask a few questions so we can present the best choices available.”</p>



<p>This summer, Gundogan’s kids are attending <a href="https://www.littleforestexplorers.com/about">Little Forest Explorers</a> camp, where they’ll spend time in Golden Gate Park. The older child is also signed up for soccer, biking, and tennis camps.</p>



<p>De Ayora said her daughter will attend a <a href="https://sfshakes.org/education/camps/bay-area-shakespeare-camp/">Shakespeare-themed camp,</a> led by theater professionals, and will present a final performance for family and friends of an abridged play. The camp typically runs around $900, though there are discounts based on ZIP Code.</p>



<p>She hopes camp providers will create a more streamlined system.</p>



<p>“I wish somehow there was a coordinated week where all the summer camp signups happened at the same time,” she said. “And that definitely does not happen.”</p>


Kamala Harris skewers Donald Trump in SF speech


<p>Former vice president Kamala Harris took direct aim at Donald Trump during a speech in San Francisco Wednesday evening, calling his administration &#8220;reckless&#8221; and &#8220;self-serving&#8221; while casting the White House as authoritarian and corrupt.</p>



<p>&#8220;What we are, in fact, witnessing is a high-velocity event. Where a vessel is being used for the swift implementation of an agenda that has been decades in the making,&#8221; said Harris, a Bay Area native and former U.S senator. &#8220;An agenda to slash public education. An agenda to shrink government. And then privatize its services. All while giving tax breaks to the wealthiest among us.&#8221;</p>



<p>Harris, who is <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2025/03/07/kamala-harris-california-governor-decision-deadline-00216737">mulling a run for California governor</a> in 2026, said the president&#8217;s actions have not led to lower costs or a more affordable lifestyle, a key promise Trump made while on the campaign trail in 2024. She also criticized his tariff policy, which has led to a slump in the stock market and worries about a recession, calling it &#8220;the greatest man-made economic crisis in modern presidential history.&#8221;</p>



<p>Referring to comments made by Trump in the Oval Office this month, where he explored the idea of sending criminals to El Salvador, Harris said it is &#8220;not OK to detain and disappear American citizens or anyone without due process.&#8221;</p>



<p>Her comments came during a keynote speech at an event held at the luxury Palace Hotel in downtown San Francisco and marked her first major address — and pointed criticism of Trump — since losing the November presidential election. </p>



<p>The gathering commemorated the 20th anniversary of Emerge America, a group that tries to bring more Democratic women into elected office. Other speakers included former U.S. Congresswoman Abigail Spanberger, who is also running for a governor&#8217;s seat in Virginia, and Democratic National Committee Chair Ken Martin.</p>



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<p>Harris is not the only Democratic official to take a swipe at the president in recent weeks. This month, former vice president Al Gore <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HLGyUckZFr8">compared Trump&#8217;s political maneuvers to Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler</a>. Former president Barack Obama has also spoken out about <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J48l41l94HQ">themes of democracy, the rule of law, and an independent judiciary</a>.</p>



<p>&#8220;One of the things that has distinguished us in the past has been this basic idea that we are a rules-based society,&#8221; Obama said during an event at Hamilton College. &#8220;What that means is that I can support one candidate instead of another and I don&#8217;t have to worry that the police are going to come harass me. That&#8217;s what happens in other places. That&#8217;s what happens in Russia.&#8221;</p>


Bay Area students sue U.S. government over terminated immigration records


<p>Five international students at Bay Area universities on Friday <a href="https://clearinghouse-umich-production.s3.amazonaws.com/media/doc/158558.pdf">filed</a> a lawsuit against the federal government, challenging what they describe as unlawful terminations of their student immigration records.</p>



<p>According to the complaint, the Department of Homeland Security abruptly terminated the plaintiffs’ records in the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) between April 4 and April 8 — a move they say jeopardizes their legal status in the United States.</p>



<p>Filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, San Jose division, the lawsuit names as defendants DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, Immigration and Customs Enforcement acting Director Todd Lyons, ICE San Francisco Field Office acting Director Moises Becerra, and President Donald Trump.</p>



<p>The plaintiffs — three international students, and two former international students “currently working pursuant to post-graduate employment authorization” — are represented by San Francisco attorney Zachary M. Nightingale of Van Der Hout Immigration &amp; Nationality Law. The students filed under pseudonyms “due to fear of retaliation … harassment or blacklisting by third parties,” according to the lawsuit.&nbsp;</p>



<p>“It&#8217;s unprecedented and, I believe, unlawful for the government to terminate SEVIS with no due process,” said Nightingale.</p>



<p>The lawsuit outlines that ICE uses SEVIS — the government database that collects information on international students — to track students’ status. The suit contests the termination of the SEVIS records, arguing that ICE’s reasoning to do so does not provide legal authority, nor should it amount to any violation of the plaintiffs’ lawful status. The lawsuit also says that just because a visa is revoked does not mean that ICE is authorized to terminate the student’s F-1 status.</p>



<p>Deleting the SEVIS records is not the same as terminating visas, although there is some overlap in the processes. Three of the plaintiffs received notifications from the State Department that their visas had been revoked, while the others have no way to verify if their visas have been affected without notification from the department.</p>



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<p>The students allege that their records were marked as &#8220;Otherwise Failing to Maintain Status,&#8221; with a notation about criminal record checks, despite their having only minor offenses or dismissed charges. Each of the five had some run-in with law enforcement authorities during their visa periods.</p>



<p>“The government was updating the database of the students to indicate that they are no longer in status, when, in fact they are in status, and nothing changed,” said Nightingale. “So our argument is, No. 1, they do not have the legal authority to do that, period. And No. 2, there was no actual violation of their status that would justify any mechanism by which they could terminate their status.”</p>



<p>S.Y., the main plaintiff, is a graduate student who first came to study in the United States on a student visa in 2013 and completed an undergraduate degree. In 2018, S.Y.&#8217;s F-1 visa was revoked due to a misdemeanor conviction for driving under the influence, for which S.Y. paid a fine and completed classes. After applying for another F-1 visa abroad at a U.S. consulate, S.Y. was issued a new visa and reentered the United States to continue their studies. The plaintiff applied for and obtained another visa in 2024 to complete their graduate studies, but on April 8, they received notice from their university that their SEVIS status was terminated.</p>



<p>Another plaintiff, Z.D., first came to study in the United States on a student visa in 2021, receiving an undergraduate degree, then, in 2024, a graduate degree. Since then, Z.D. has worked lawfully in the U.S. with F-1 OPT status, which permits the right to work for a period of time after completing one’s studies. This plaintiff had a misdemeanor conviction for disturbing the peace in 2024, for which they paid a fine.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Plaintiff Y.W. is an undergraduate student who arrived in the U.S. on a student visa in 2021. In 2022, Y.W. attempted to reenter the U.S. while en route to another country, but the visa did not permit that type of travel. As a result, Y.W. was denied entry to the United States and deported. They were subsequently granted a waiver for the prior deportation and allowed to lawfully return to continue their studies. On April 4, Y.W. received a phone call from their school’s international students’ office informing them that their SEVIS status was terminated.</p>



<p>H.G., a current graduate student, came to study in the United States on a student visa in 2019 and received an undergraduate degree. They later traveled on multiple visas, including B-2, A-2, and F-1. In 2021, H.G. was arrested, but all charges were dismissed. H.G. disclosed the incident to authorities before receiving any new visas.</p>



<p>W.X., the final plaintiff, has been in the U.S. since 2017 and is working in a STEM field under OPT status. W.X. holds a high school diploma, an undergraduate degree, and a graduate degree. Their SEVIS record was terminated due to a flag in a criminal background check. The lawsuit states that W.X. was arrested in 2024 but never charged.</p>



<p>The five plaintiffs are seeking restoration of their SEVIS records and protection from detention or deportation during legal proceedings. The complaint states that “ICE’s en masse SEVIS terminations have created havoc and uncertainty for schools.”</p>



<p>In the Bay Area alone, <a href="https://sfstandard.com/2025/04/08/4-sf-state-graduates-f1-visas-revoked/">dozens</a> of students have had their visas terminated; nationally, hundreds have been affected. Other lawsuits are pending across the U.S. In Georgia, 17 international students filed a lawsuit alleging that ICE unlawfully used SEVIS to rescind their legal status.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Nightingale said his top priority is to protect the plaintiffs from deportation or retribution while they fight the case. “We are working out how to keep their identities confidential and try to obtain temporary protection for them, but we don&#8217;t know exactly what that&#8217;s going to look like,” he said. The plaintiffs are waiting on a temporary restraining order, which can take up to a few weeks to secure.</p>


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The Abatement Appeals Board provides a final review process for City permitting decisions. It ensures fair and efficient adjudication of permit-related disputes before an impartial panel. The board holds authority to make binding decisions on appeals concerning notices of abatement.

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Adult Probation Department supervises individuals on probation and facilitates their reintegration into the community. It provides reentry and rehabilitative services, including victim restitution and financial assistance for crime victims. The department values public safety, offender rehabilitation, and community partnerships.

Cristel Tullock

The Advisory Committee of Street Artists and Crafts Examiners evaluates arts and crafts applicants and monitors program compliance. It conducts studio visits and public screenings to ensure adherence to established criteria. Members also revise program criteria and undertake additional tasks as needed.

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San Francisco Airport manages air traffic operations and ensures safe aircraft movement. It provides parking facilities and maintains airport infrastructure to accommodate travelers and staff. The department oversees ground transportation and coordinates with airlines for efficient passenger services.

Mike Nakornkhet

The Airport Commission oversees policy and strategic planning for San Francisco International Airport. It makes key decisions on airport development projects and financial management. It ensures compliance with regulations and collaborates on initiatives like terminal naming.

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Malcolm Yeung

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Virginia Donohue

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San Francisco Arts Commission invests in a vibrant arts community and shapes cultural policy. It enlivens the urban environment through public art programs and supports diverse artistic expressions. The commission facilitates meetings and discussions to engage the community in cultural development.

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The Asian Art Commission determines policy and administers the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco. It oversees museum operations and collaborates with the Asian Art Museum Foundation on fundraising efforts. Commissioners ensure the museum's strategic direction and financial sustainability.

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Asian Art Museum showcases Asian art and culture through exhibitions and educational programs. It offers diverse collections and hosts special events to engage the community. The museum fosters cultural appreciation and understanding by providing access to its extensive art collections.

Dr. Soyoung Lee

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The Assessment Appeals Board #1 hears property tax assessment appeals in San Francisco. It evaluates evidence presented by taxpayers and the Assessor to determine property values. The Board has the authority to make final decisions on assessments regardless of property type or value.

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Richard Lee

Stephen Wasserman

Adena Gilbert

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Quirina Mitchell

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The Assessment Appeals Board #2 adjudicates property tax assessment appeals for San Francisco taxpayers. It evaluates evidence presented by taxpayers and the Assessor to determine accurate property values. The Board exercises authority to render final decisions on residential properties and specific real estate assessments.

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Claire Ervin Lee

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The Assessment Appeals Board #3 provides a platform for San Francisco taxpayers to contest property tax assessments. It conducts hearings where evidence from both taxpayers and the Assessor is evaluated. The Board makes binding decisions on property assessments based on presented evidence.

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Marc Dickow

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Assesses property, applies exemptions, collects transfer taxes, and records official documents.

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Joaquín Torres

The Ballot Simplification Committee ensures voter materials are clear and understandable. It reviews and revises ballot language to accurately reflect propositions and measures. The committee advises on simplifying complex legal and technical terms for voter comprehension.

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The Bayview Hunters Point Citizens Advisory Committee provides policy advice on planning and land use matters in Zone 2 of Bayview Hunter's Point. It offers expertise in land use policies, zoning issues, and urban development. The committee advises the Board of Supervisors, City Boards, and commissions on relevant projects and initiatives.

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The Behavioral Health Commission advises on mental health policy implementation and quality service delivery. It reviews and advocates for effective mental health services, ensuring policies meet community needs. It educates stakeholders to integrate mental health considerations into broader health strategies.

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