Item 06 -Minutes from the Regular Meetings of June 17, 2025 and July 1, 2025

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CITY COUNCIL 26 JUNE 17, 2025 Police Chief Rodriguez stated he did not currently have the requested numbers but could obtain them and explained calls for mutual aid are based on the department's available resources at the time, calls for service within the city, and available resources throughout the county. Councilmember Hernandez asked a follow-up question regarding mutual aid from neighboring cities and whether there is a proportional response based on the size of the gathering and if details related to that were available. Police Chief Rodriguez explained that mutual aid is dependent on the specific mutual aid response area, as cities are assigned to specific areas, and overall county-wide aid is based on need, proportion, and what is happening in other cities. Councilmember Hernandez stated he has been out every day since the start of the protests to document police officers and recounted a recent incident at a park opening where officers were disrespectful to his colleagues . Councilmember Hernandez demanded the department respect the community, city employees, and those they are sworn to protect and serve. He advocated against criminalizing those who speak in the chamber and specifically called for the release of Taina Lopez and dropping of any charges against her. He urged the City Manager's office to prioritize finalizing immigration defense contracts, denounced the allegation that he condoned violence, expressed willingness to speak with those who disagree with him, and requested his colleagues not allege something he did not do. Mayor Pro Tem Vazquez thanked councilmembers for defining the danger as coming from the federal court and acknowledged the past few days have shaken Santa Ana and the country. He stated that ICE was never about safety and characterized ICE as a bipartisan failure and a weapon targeting communities the country depends on. He claimed that under current federal leadership, ICE is being used as a tool of authoritarian power, and stated that if representatives want their vote, they must advocate for abolishing ICE, as it is no longer about the people or justice. Mayor Pro Tem Vazquez stressed the necessity of changing how police interact with protests, rewriting policies to protect people's rights to assemble, speak, and demand change, not just protecting property. He demanded a ban on tear gas and rubber bullets and stated that protesting is a right, not a threat. He requested the city submit Freedom of Information Act requests to ICE and DHS to obtain details on arrests , stressed the need to create organizing spaces in homes, churches, or streets, and to support each other by offering rides to fearful families, fundraising for food, legal aid, and rent, and patrolling streets to alert neighbors, and encouraged continued protests. Councilmember Bacerra thanked everyone who attended, acknowledged the display of passionate expression and direct criticism towards the mayor and council was part of the governmental process, and noted that no one was removed for peacefully exercising their First Amendment right. He addressed the ICE raids, noting the initial narrative that ICE would only target serious felons or operate in jails, contrasting it with the reality of raids in neighborhoods, and stated that these ICE raids do not make the community safer, and despite the federal administration's claim to be law -and-order centric, their actions are creating an unsafe situation. Councilmember Bacerra countered what he perceived as misinformation about the Sa nta Ana Police Department, highlighted former Police Chief Ray Davis, who denounc ed immigration