Santa Ana Police redact ICE tip disclosures after Essayli letter

The Santa Ana Police Department responded to a public records request submitted by The Santanero on Tuesday, seeking information about the number of courtesy notifications received from federal immigration authorities since January 20, 2025.

In response, the Santa Ana Police Department provided the requested documentation, though all content within the release was fully redacted.

According to Jessica Antes from the SAPD Records Division, the redactions were made "due to the evolving situation and in light of the recent letter from the U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California." She explained that the City is invoking the investigative exemption as the basis for the redactions.

A June 6th letter from U.S. Attorney Essayli advised the City of Santa Ana against publicly disclosing ICE notifications, citing potential violations of federal statutes, including 18 U.S.C. § 1505.

On Tuesday, City Attorney Sonia Carvalho announced that, following a closed session, the City Council had voted 5-2 (Mayor Pro-Tem Benjamin Vazquez and Councilmember Johnathan Ryan Hernandez voting in favor of keeping the measure progress ongoing) to halt further consideration of any proposals that would authorize the release of ICE-related notifications.

The Santanero asked Essayli’s office if raids in Santa Ana were already planned before the June 6 letter—or if the city became a focus because of it.

"We have no comment," said an Essayli representative.

The Santanero attempted to reach a spokesperson from ICE but our request went unreturned.

Despite this development, members of the community, along with organizations such as the Orange County Rapid Response Network, have continued to share information with one another regarding enforcement activity. Community members have remained active in supporting undocumented residents, particularly in response to recent immigration enforcement actions in Santa Ana.