Coorespondence - Item 23 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Good evening Mayor and Councilmembers, My name is Angeles Ochoa, I am a Santa Ana resident and the Digital Organizer at OCCORD, where I work closely with immigrant families across Orange County. I am speaking in support of Items 22 and 23. Through our work organizing citizenship clinics, family preparedness workshops and community outreach efforts, we regularly work with immigrant families who already live with a great deal of fear and uncertainty. Many are lawful permanent residents, mixed-status families, longtime residents and community members who simply want to feel safe accessing schools, healthcare, city services and public spaces without fear tied to immigration enforcement. Policies that clearly separate local law enforcement from federal immigration enforcement are critical to maintaining trust between the community and the City. When residents fear that local officers may also be connected to immigration enforcement through secondary employment, it creates confusion, fear and distrust. That fear can discourage people from reporting crimes, seeking emergency assistance, cooperating with investigations or participating in civic life altogether. As someone who works directly with impacted families, I can say that trust is one of the biggest factors in whether community members feel safe enough to ask for help or engage with local institutions. These items send an important message that Santa Ana is committed to protecting that trust and ensuring that local public safety resources remain focused on serving and protecting residents, rather than supporting immigration enforcement activities. I also support the City expressing support for AB 1537, which would help close loopholes in existing state law and create clearer protections and accountability statewide. For many immigrant families, trust is not built through words alone it is built through policies, actions, and the decisions local leaders make. I respectfully urge the Council to support both items. Thank you. Sincerely, Angeles Ochoa, Digital Organizer Orange County Communities Organized for Responsible Development(OCCORD)