Laserfiche WebLink
saying, in part, "you guys have the power because you guys own the jail to tell the Santa Ana <br />Police Department that you don't have to honor ICE hold requests because there's no law on the <br />books in this nation that you have to honor these requests or you have to hold detainers." In <br />closing, he states that when dealing with the issue of immigration enforcement, the Committee <br />should be listening to the people that are most affected by it: community members who are <br />undocumented or part of an undocumented family. <br />Natali Rodriguez talks about ICE detainers and the issue of community members feeling safe in <br />their neighborhoods. She says that the last thing the Police Department would want is a <br />community afraid to trust the police, afraid to call and report crime. Ms. Rodriguez states that <br />Santa Ana is a city of immigrants who need protection. She does not believe in subcontracting <br />the Santa Ana jail, as it would be a form of collaborating with ICE. In closing, she directs a <br />question to Chief Rojas, to City Councilmen Benavides and all other city representatives, "what <br />will the City Council do, as well as the Santa Ana Police Department, to protect our <br />undocumented residents who are afraid to trust the police and are afraid to trust in their own city <br />representatives?" Chairman Benavides explains that this part of the meeting is strictly public <br />comment; however, she could set up meetings to follow-up directly with any of the committee <br />members. Chief Rojas also assures her that she may contact his office to discuss her concerns. <br />Jose Ventura talks about Secure Communities and how it actually creates the opposite: a <br />community afraid to report crimes and to give their testimony to the Santa Ana Police because <br />they are afraid of the police sharing information with ICE. He quotes research showing that 45% <br />of Latinos surveyed stated that they are less likely to contact officers if they've been a victim of a <br />crime, because they fear that police officers will use this interaction to inquire into their <br />immigration status or that of people they know. 70% of undocumented immigrants reported that <br />they are less likely to contact law enforcement authorities if they were victims of a crime and, <br />lastly, they fear that police contact is not confined to immigrants. <br />Marilyn Montano is a resident attending Santa Ana College. Ms. Montano is part of an <br />undocumented family. She shares her story of ICE knocking on her family's door and how they <br />had to move many times because of the fear of her parents being deported. She says her parents <br />only wanted to provide a better life for her but is questioning what is being done to provide the <br />safety for her and her parents. <br />Carlos Perez says he is advocating not just for the people of Santa Ana, but also families in the <br />southern region of California. He states that the contract with the City says that the ICE contract <br />should never be relied on to be one of the main sources of income or money for the jail to <br />continue to operate. He believes that what the City is doing is contrary to humanity; making a <br />profit out of immigrants to keep the jail afloat. Perez calls for an end to the contract with ICE. <br />13B-3