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p 1 RESILIENCE ORANGE COUNTY 2790 Harbor Blvd.Suite 208,Costa Mesa,CA 92626 info@resilienceoc.org www.resilienceoc.org ResilienceOC February 4, 2025 Dear Mayor Amezcua and City Councilmembers, On behalf of Resilience Orange County, I am writing to express our strong support for moving forward with Agenda Item 21 and bringing back the Sanctuary Policy Advisory Group,a community oversight mechanism written within the ordinance to facilitate trust and transparency between the City of Santa Ana and its immigrant residents. Resilience Orange County is a community-based organization dedicated to empowering communities of color through multi-generational organizing, participatory research,cultivating collaborations,and leadership development.As one of the founding organizations of Santa Ana's Sanctuary Policy Advisory Group,we have worked to protect immigrant rights and advocate for policies that ensure due process and foster a sense of belonging for residents.We remain committed to work alongside our communities at the intersection of issues of immigrant, criminal,economic,and racial justice while emphasizing an approach that moves"at the speed of trust." In January 2017,the Council passed a robust Ordinance with language stating that they would establish a task force made up of community members to advise the City Council on policies related to the ordinance, including helping craft policies to protect immigrants as well as recommend ways to use and oversee a city fund to help immigrants fight deportation in court.This advisory group has not met for some time and with so much uncertainty, now is the time for the City of Santa Ana to reaffirm its support for the immigrant community and revive the Sanctuary Policy Advisory Group to help facilitate trust and transparency between the City of Santa Ana and its immigrant residents. Santa Ana's status as a sanctuary city builds on years of community-based struggles fighting for the political, economic,and human rights of our vibrant immigrant communities. I stand firm with Councilwoman Lopez's request for the advisory group to reconvene within 30 days to provide updates to the city and recommendations on ways they can better protect residents. I look forward to seeing the re-implementation of the Sanctuary Ordinance&Advisory Board and the role it will take to protect immigrant's rights in Santa Ana. Sincerely, Oswaldo Farias Deputy Director Resilience Orange County CC: vamezcua(@santa-ana.org PBacerra cDsanta-ana.ore TPhan @santa-ana.ore DPenaloza cDsanta-ana.org JessieLopezCDsanta-ana.org JRvanHernandez(@santa-ana.ora bvazauez(@santa-ana.org