HomeMy WebLinkAboutItem 27 - Discuss and Consider Immediate Disclosure of All ICE Courtesy Notifications Received by the Santa Ana Police DepartmentCITY ATTORNEY
Sonia R. Carvalho
CITY MANAGER
Alvaro Nuñez
CITY CLERK
Jennifer L. Hall
20 CIVIC CENTER PLAZA - P.O. BOX 1988, M31 - SANTA ANA, CALIFORNIA 92702
TELEPHONE (714) 647-6900 - FAX (714) 647-6954 - www.santa-ana.org
Councilmember-Requested Item Report
DATE
May 20, 2025
TOPIC
Transparency and Public Notification of ICE/DHS Courtesy Alerts to Santa Ana Police
Department
COUNCILMEMBER-REQUESTED ITEM TITLE
Discuss and Consider Providing Direction to the City Manager to Develop and
Implement a Policy Requiring Immediate Disclosure of All ICE Courtesy Notifications
Received by the Santa Ana Police Department
DISCUSSION
On May 5, 2025, data-based reporting by journalist Ben Camacho revealed that the
Santa Ana Police Department (SAPD) received at least forty-two courtesy alerts from
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the Department of Homeland
Security (DHS) between January 20 and April of this year.1 These notifications informed
SAPD that federal immigration agents planned to be active within our city, often during
early morning hours.
SAPD did not disclose this information to the public, to the Council, or when asked
directly about immigration enforcement activity at the February 4, 2025 Santa Ana City
Council meeting. Subsequent meetings involving a similar line of questioning also did
not mention any of the notifications, as reported by Voice of OC.2 This highlights a
transparency gap in regards to ICE’s repeated presence in Santa Ana neighborhoods
including near residential areas, schools, and places of worship. Such a transparency
gap should be addressed, particularly given our city’s commitment to protecting and
supporting all residents, including immigrant and refugee community members.
Existing California state law, including the California Values Act (SB 54), and local law
both heavily limit the extent to which Santa Ana departments and agencies cooperate
with federal immigration enforcement. SAPD clarified that it does not participate in or
assist with ICE actions and that alerts are received strictly as a matter of officer safety
1 Ben Camacho, “EXCLUSIVE: Santa Ana Police Department Received Forty-Two Alerts From Immigration Agents And Did
Not Tell The Community,” Inadvertent, May 5, 2025. https://inadvertent.substack.com/p/sapd-ice-data
2 Hosam Elattar, “Have Santa Ana’s Police Chief & City Manager Been Up Front With Residents About ICE Activity?” Voice of
OC, May 6, 2025. https://voiceofoc.org/2025/05/has-santa-anas-police-chief-city-manager-been-up-front-with-residents-about-
ice-activity/
CITY ATTORNEY
Sonia R. Carvalho
CITY MANAGER
Alvaro Nuñez
CITY CLERK
Jennifer L. Hall
20 CIVIC CENTER PLAZA - P.O. BOX 1988, M31 - SANTA ANA, CALIFORNIA 92702
TELEPHONE (714) 647-6900 - FAX (714) 647-6954 - www.santa-ana.org
and situational awareness. We appreciate this clarification and recognize the
importance of keeping SAPD officers informed about potential ICE/DHS actions. At the
same time, the public also deserves timely, accurate information about ICE/DHS activity
occurring in their neighborhoods, especially when such information may affect residents’
sense of security and ability to make informed choices for themselves and their families.
SAPD already maintains the capacity to proactively share weekly data on firearm and
narcotics seizures. The Department has no policy directing it to release such data
proactively, yet SAPD does so of its own accord. Implementing a similar process for ICE
courtesy notifications would be a practical and meaningful step toward ensuring
consistent transparency on issues that directly affect community well-being. This
proposal aims to strengthen residents’ trust in the City of Santa Ana and provide
additional transparency and communication regarding important information within the
public record that the community should have increased, direct access to.
Therefore, we would like to propose that the City Council direct the City Manager to:
1. Collaborate with the City Attorney and the SAPD Police Chief to develop a policy
to immediately notify the Council, the Police Oversight Commission, and the
public whenever a courtesy alert is received from ICE/DHS.
a. This notice should be made available within 48 hours of receipt.
b. The report must include:
i. The date and time of the communication
ii. The neighborhood or block targeted by ICE/DHS
iii. The nature of the federal activity (e.g. custody check-in, warrant
service)
iv. Any known or stated outcomes, including if SAPD was asked to
participate in an any capacity, if applicable
v. A redacted copy of the alert (when possible under law)
2. Establish a publicly accessible webpage where these notices will be published in
real time, along with information about residents’ constitutional rights during
interactions with federal immigration enforcement officers. Notices and
accompanying information must be available in English, Spanish, and
Vietnamese.
3. Instruct the Public Information Officer to publish these notices in real time on City
of Santa Ana social media accounts and the SAPD to publish these notices in
real time on SAPD social media accounts. Social media posts from the City of
Santa Ana and SAPD social media accounts regarding these notices must be
accompanied by links to the City of Santa Ana webpage containing information
about residents’ constitutional rights during interactions with federal immigration
enforcement officers.
4. Instruct SAPD to provide an oral report on ICE communications, including
courtesy alerts, at each Council and Police Oversight Commission meeting.
CITY ATTORNEY
Sonia R. Carvalho
CITY MANAGER
Alvaro Nuñez
CITY CLERK
Jennifer L. Hall
20 CIVIC CENTER PLAZA - P.O. BOX 1988, M31 - SANTA ANA, CALIFORNIA 92702
TELEPHONE (714) 647-6900 - FAX (714) 647-6954 - www.santa-ana.org
5. Report back to the Council within 30 days with a draft policy and timeline for
implementation.
The expectation from the people we serve is clear: we must lead with transparency, not
secrecy, when it comes to immigration enforcement activity in Santa Ana.
SUBMITTED BY
Councilmember Johnathan Ryan Hernandez and Mayor Pro Tem Benjamin Vazquez