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CITY COUNCIL 23 JUNE 17, 2025 <br />Councilmember Phan thanked the City Attorney for clarifying, stated that these <br />questions were not due to a lack of sympathy and that she personally desires ICE out <br />of California, Orange County, and Santa Ana, and acknowledged the difficult reality <br />and the lack of city authority to remove ICE, Border Patrol, or the National Guard. She <br />emphasized the city's role is to support legislators fighting for removal and to sh are <br />information and resources with the community, stressed the importance of not <br />misinforming the public about the city's limited authority , and urged solidarity rather <br />than internal blame. She expressed hope for continued information sharing, mutual <br />care, and support, commended the executive team, Chief, City Attorneys, and <br />Councilmembers for ensuring protest rights, and reminded everyone to stand together <br />against the federal government harming the community. She reflected on the emotional <br />night and expressed her belief in the posted motto “E Pluribus Unum.” <br /> <br />Councilmember Lopez acknowledged the anger and deep sadness felt by many in the <br />community, thanked everyone involved in community efforts, and expressed <br />understanding of what families are experiencing, citing personal examples of her <br />parents' fear and the anxiety reported by constituents. She urged residents to prioritize <br />self-care and mutual safety, and highlighted the grim reality of family separations, <br />parental detentions, and unidentified federal agents in tactical gear detaining <br />individuals without due process. She noted the detention of children, arrest of <br />community leaders, brutalization of journalists, targeting of legal observers, and <br />repeated traumatization of everyday people, including those reliving past traumas. <br />Councilmember Lopez reiterated the demand for ICE to leave neighborhoods and <br />emphasized the need to speak up and push back against the administration, while also <br />noting that business owners do not want the National Guard due to negati ve impacts <br />on downtown Santa Ana's foot traffic. She asked regarding the plan to ensure peaceful <br />protests without brutalization and explained she was at the June 9th protest where <br />federal agents shot various objects into the crowd, and that Trustee Magdale no, who <br />was with her, was hit twice. Councilmember Lopez mentioned she heard the Chief <br />speak about federal agents calling for support. <br /> <br />Police Chief Rodriguez confirmed federal agents had contacted Santa Ana Police for <br />support, including to get vehicles in to extract federal staff from their building. In <br />response to Councilmember Lopez, Police Chief Rodriguez noted that such assistance <br />did not conflict with the sanctuary ordinance because the request was for assistance <br />for another law enforcement agency, not for the arrest or detainment of anyone based <br />on immigration status. <br /> <br />City Attorney Carvalho stated there were two separate issues: the Sanctuary City <br />ordinance and the California Values Act protect individuals from federal agencies in <br />detaining or investigating immigrants. She clarified the police department provides <br />"safety assistance" to anyone, regardless of who calls, and that the call from federal <br />agents was for assistance for people feeling unsafe in the Federal building, not for <br />arrests, detentions, or deportation hearings related to immigrants. City Attorney <br />Carvalho then reminded the council that while she was happy to answer questions, she <br />would be mindful of the Brown Act, which allows for clarifying questions but not a <br />debate since the item was not agendized. In response to an inquiry by Mayor Amezcua, <br />City Attorney Carvalho confirmed that brief questions were permissible, but not a "back