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Arevalo, Evelyn From: Stephany Gutierrez < Sent: Tuesday, February 4, 2025 3:24 PM To: eComment Cc: Amezcua, Valerie; Bacerra, Phil; Phan, Thai; Penaloza, David; Lopez, Jessie; Hernandez, Johnathan; Vazquez, Benjamin Subject: Agenda Item 21: Sanctuary Policy Advisory Group" Attention: This email originated from outside of City of Santa Ana.Use caution when opening attachments or links. Dear Mayor Amezcua and City Councilmembers, Hello, my name is Stephany Gutierrez. I'm a proud resident of Santa Ana, though I'm currently away finishing my last semester of college. Growing up in a mixed-status family in Santa Ana shaped my deep commitment to supporting immigrants and advocating for Sanctuary in our city. The fear my family and community have experienced over the past two weeks is something I would never wish on anyone. It's this fear and the resilience that rises in spite of it—that fuels my dedication to fighting for the dignity, safety, and rights of immigrant communities. I am writing to express my 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. 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, i