Santa Ana officials are considering a new policy that would require the city to notify the public whenever U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement alerts the Police Department about activity planned in the area.
Councilmembers raised questions about the legality of the policy and whether it could expose the city to retaliation under the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown during discussions this week and city staffers will be coming back with some answers before the council considers any further action.
Reporting from Ben Camacho, a local independent journalist who publishes Inadvertent on Substack, included results from public records requests indicating that ICE had sent 42 courtesy alerts to the Santa Ana Police Department between Jan. 20 and last month. The notifications were not shared with the public or councilmembers, raising concerns from some on the council about transparency in a city that has declared itself a sanctuary for immigrants.
“What we are looking to propose is that the city should facilitate providing this information on a publicly available website,” said Councilmember Johnathan Hernandez, who co-authored the proposal with Councilmember Benjamin Vazquez.
Under the draft resolution, SAPD would be required to share ICE alerts with the public within 48 hours of receiving them. The information would include the time and date of the notification, the location of the expected enforcement, the nature of the activity and, when possible, a redacted copy of the alert. It would be posted online in English, Spanish and Vietnamese, and shared via social media and council and commission meetings.
Santa Ana Police Chief Robert Rodriguez cautioned the council to weigh public safety concerns.
“This is a very complicated conversation,” Rodriguez said. “I have to ensure the safety of the community, of our officers and any other agency that comes and works in our city.”
“I will not break the law to enforce the law,” he added.
Rodriguez said ICE courtesy alerts are general in nature and are meant to inform local departments that authorities are in the area.
The two-day buffer would “protect the city and to ensure that we’re also not obstructing any investigations that have a judicial warrant,” Hernandez said.
Councilmember Thai Viet Phan raised questions about what information the city receives from the ICE alerts and whether publishing them would expose the city to legal or financial risks.
“I need to see that the risks to our budget, the risks to our working class community is worth it,” Phan said. “Whether we’re actually going to help with this notification, or if we’re just going to continue to spread fear and panic.”
“This administration has been very vindictive, if you will, in pursuing any person or any jurisdiction that potentially disagrees with them,” Phan added.
The Trump administration has highlighted crimes committed by undocumented immigrants and a lack of border enforcement as national security concerns in its crackdown and ramping up of deportations, with President Donald Trump calling it an “invasion,” needing the government to “take measures to fulfill its obligation” to public safety and instructing federal officials to identify states and local cities that “obstruct the enforcement of federal immigration laws.”
Ahead of the recent council meeting, Rep. Lou Correa, D-Santa Ana, said he supports the idea behind the proposal, but also that he’s urged the city to be cautious in how it’s carried out to avoid possible backlash from the federal government.
“I’m in favor of protecting our community. I’m in favor of protecting them and preparing them for a situation like ICE coming into your neighborhoods,” Correa said. “I’m in favor of disclosing that information, but you can’t do it in a way that is viewed as, interpreted as, saying you’re interfering with an ICE agent, and that’s where it gets a little dicey.”
He said cities seen as getting in the way of immigration enforcement could face retaliation, particularly with funding.
In April, a federal judge ruled the Trump administration cannot withhold federal funding from sanctuary cities and counties that choose to limit cooperation with federal immigration law enforcement, including ICE.
Correa also pointed out that a significant number of Santa Ana’s taxpayers are undocumented and they should be supported, but the city must be careful not to open itself up to retaliation that could impact essential programs that get federal funding.
Supporters of the proposed policy said it would help build trust between the police and Santa Ana’s immigrant community.
“It will make Santa Ana safe when we have trust in our government, our Police Department,” Vazquez said, “knowing that we’re giving information.”
Staff are expected to return to the council within 45 days with a legal analysis and more information.