Correspondence - 21 - Laserfiche WebLink

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o ID Dear Mayor Amezcua and City Councilmembers, My name is Ramon Campos, I am a case manager with Underground GRIT. Underground GRIT is a non-profit organization that provides reentry services throughout Orange County. Many of our members and staff are residents of Santa Ana. Underground GRIT promotes change in prisons,jails, and juvenile institutions through innovative in-reach and transformative re-entry services. We believe that when we Walk Through Life with our members we create communities and promote self sufficiency with advocacy and support. I am writing to express our 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, Ramon Campos Case Manager/Underground GRIT Resident of Santa Ana CC: vamezcua(aDsanta-ana.org PBacerra(a_�santa-ana.org TPhan a santa-ana.org DPenalozar&santa-ana.org Jessie Looez( .santa-ana.org J Ryan Hernandezasanta-ana.org bvazauez(ccDsanta-ana.org Office of Administration 1914 W. Orangewood Ave Suite 101, Orange, CA 92868 (714) 345.2299 info@undergroundgrit.org www.undergroundgrit.org GROWING DAILY. REGAINING INDEPENDENCE. INVESTING IN FUTURE GENERATIONS. TRANSFORMING COMMUNITY.