2013-06-18 PUBLIC SAFETY - Laserfiche WebLink

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