War of words ensues between Trump and CA sanctuary city mayors

OAKLAND, Calif. (KGO) -- If you did not hear or read President Donald Trump's comments about threatening to pull Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents from California Thursday afternoon, here they are, verbatim:

"The level of, in this country who would ever believe something like this could happen but we're literally getting MS-13 out by the thousands. But they come in. These are smart they're smart. They actually have franchises going to Los Angeles. We're getting no help from the state of California.

I mean frankly, if I wanted to pull our people from California you would have a crime nest like you've never seen in California. All I'd have to do is say ICE and Border Patrol, let California alone. You'd be inundated. You would see crime like nobody's ever seen a crime in this country and yet we get no help from the state of California.

They are doing a lousy management job. They have the highest taxes in the nation and they don't know what's happening out there. It's a, it's a, frankly, it's a disgrace.

The sanctuary city situation, the protection of these horrible criminals, you know because you're working on it, and the protection of these horrible criminals in California and other places but in California, that if we ever pulled our ICE out if we ever said, hey let California alone, let them figure it out for themselves, in two months they'd be begging for us to come back. They would be begging. And you know what, I'm thinking about doing it."

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It seems clear that the president was not interested in making friends in California. This is a so-called sanctuary state that limits local police with ICE. Among the comments from Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf: "Another ugly myth from the Bully in Chief...every day this man says something that is so harmful and ignorant it never ceases to amaze me," she said. "The idea that California is doing a poor job when we are the sixth-largest economy in the world? When we are the center for innovation is ridiculous. We are standing up for our values."

Here are more comments from San Francisco Mayor Mark Farrell: "We are a sanctuary city because we know our city is safer when law abiding residents, regardless of immigration status, are active members of our community."

RELATED: Trump says he's considering pulling ICE officers from California

From Berkeley Mayor Jesse Arreguin: "We remain proud that California is a sanctuary state. A place that views immigrants as important contributors to the economy and society."

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