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Zuniga, Diana From: Ana Charco < Sent: Tuesday, June 17, 2025 3:31 PM To: eComment Subject: Stand with Us, Not Against Us Attention: This email originated from outside of City of Santa Ana.Use caution when opening attachments or links. Dear Mayor Amezcua and City Councilmembers, My name is Ana Charco, and I am writing to you today as a concerned resident of Santa Ana to speak on behalf of countless residents who are outraged and heartbroken by the inhumane ICE raids currently unfolding in our city. These raids are not just headlines. They are trauma. Families are being torn apart. People are being targeted while doing everyday things such as going to work, putting gas in their cars, and simply existing in a city they call home. Videos and eyewitness accounts are flooding social media and news platforms. These are realities we CANNOT ignore. You were elected to represent us. That means listening when your community is crying out in pain and fear. That means standing with us when we're under attack, not going silent. When the conversation around the Sanctuary City Advisory group took place, each of you proudly shared your immigrant roots, connecting your stories to ours. But when ICE raids began terrorizing this city, where were you Mayor Amezcua, Councilmembers Becerra, and Penaloza? You remained silent until protests erupted. That silence speaks volumes. We expect more. We deserve more. Taking pride in your immigrant background is not just about storytelling when it's convenient. It's about standing hand-in-hand with the community when it matters most. It's about showing up when we are under siege. When people took to the streets to protest, not out of hate but out of desperation and pain, your focus shifted to police responses instead of the root cause: federal agents traumatizing our neighborhoods. Instead of shielding your constituents, the city criminalized youth who were simply standing up for their families and their rights. As mayor and city leaders, you must protect us, not punish us for exercising our First Amendment rights. Going forward, we urge you to take a clear, public stance. Demand that our police department not be used to intimidate or harm residents. Speak out against ICE operations in our city. And most importantly, respect and defend our right to protest, to assemble, to demand justice without fear of being tear-gassed or retaliated against. In this time of fear and uncertainty, Santa Ana's immigrant community needs you to lead. Not with words, but with action. Sincerely, i