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Orozco, Norma From: Joyce Noche <Joyce@ImmDef.org> Sent: Tuesday, July 07, 2020 3:41 PM To: eComment Subject: Comment in Support of Item 65-D My name is Joyce Noche, Legal Services Director at Immigrant Defenders Law Center (ImmDef). I am submitting public comment for Agenda item 65-D in support of the renewal of the Santa Ana Deportation Defense Fund at its current level of $200,000 to continue providing legal representation to Santa Ana residents facing detention and deportation. Since entering into an agreement with Santa Ana in October of 2017 ImmDef has represented 37 Santa Ana residents, in addition to 35 cases of representation for the children of these residents. We have worked closely with stakeholders in Orange County including Resilience OC, OC Justice Fund, Public Law Center, Catholic Charities, and Friends of Orange County to uphold the due process rights of Santa Ana residents. ImmDef recently won a case last week for a Santa Ana resident, preserving his lawful permanent resident status and allowing him to remain in the U.S. with his family. Our client lived in the U.S. for over 30 years and only recently began dealing with issues of depression and substance addiction which led to his detention and removal proceedings. Through our advocacy and representation, we were able to work with our client to develop a rehabilitation plan, while also preserving our client's ability to remain with his family. The urgency and need for representation have escalated due to the COVID-19 pandemic. There are recent reports of ICE transferring detainees out of state with complete disregard to the risk of infection, as well as the first reported death of a person who was detained just south of us, at the Otay Mesa Detention Center (highest number of COVID 19 nationwide at over 164 cases among ICE detainees). There are ongoing reports of harmful chemicals being used to clean in the ADF, causing skin and respiratory issues, nose bleeds, and other serious symptoms. We are working with clients and colleagues to bring light to these issues, while also trying to obtain release. Current numbers at ADF at 8. The city must continue to invest in resources like this legal representation program that uphold humanity and due process and aims to keep families together. The continuation of this funding would be a step forward into that direction and ensures that Santa Ana residents have access to vital legal representation. Confidentiality: This message is intended for the designated recipient(s) only and may contained privileged information. Dissemination of this email or its attachments to anyone other than the intended recipient is prohibited. If you received this message in error, please notify the sender and destroy this message and all attachments.