San Francisco has set up a varied legal framework in order to be a city of inclusion for migrants. Primarily, based on the principle that migrants have a right to justice regardless of their migratory stats, and that migrants should have access to basic services, in 1989 San Francisco passed the "City and Country of Refuge" Ordinance (also known as the Sanctuary Ordinance). The Sanctuary Ordinance generally prohibits City employees from using City funds or resources to assist Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in the enforcement of Federal immigration law unless such assistance is requiree by federal or state law. 

In 2013, San Francisco passed the "Due Process for All" Ordinance. This ordinance limits when City law enforcement officers may give ICE advance notice of a person's release form local jail. These ordinances serve to separate the role of immigration enforcement from the role of police. Beyond this, the city has implemented a number of other migrant supportive policies. For instance, services are delivered to migrants by civil society, and the city provides funds to non-profits for this purpose. The city has also established a municipal ID, so that undocumented migrants can obtain a legal identity which can be used to begin banking, allowing them to be more productive, engaging in entrepreneurship and joining the workforce.