28 (04)You don't often get email from info@ocrapidresponse.org. Learn why this is important
Date:3/24/2026 2:58:59 PM
From:"OC Rapid Response Network" info@ocrapidresponse.org
To:
"Ashleigh Aitken" AAitken@anaheim.net, "Carlos A. Leon" CLeon@anaheim.net, "Natalie Rubalcava"
NRubalcava@anaheim.net, "ncamposkurtz@anaheim.net" ncamposkurtz@anaheim.net, "Natalie Meeks"
NMeeks@anaheim.net, "Kristen Maahs" KMaahs@anaheim.net, "Ryan Balius" RBalius@anahe im.net, "Public
Comment" publiccomment@anaheim.net
Subject:[EXTERNAL] Item 28: Urgent Request to Establish a City-Supported Immigration Legal Defe nse Fund
Attachment:Item 28 Anaheim Legal Defense Fund Letter .pdf;
Warning: This email originated from outside the City of Anaheim. Do not click links or open attachme nts unle ss you recognize the
sender and are expecting the message.
Please see attached letter of support.
Best,
Sandra De Anda
Director of Policy and Legal Strategy
Pronouns: (She/Her/Hers)
Orange County Rapid Response Network
March 24, 2026
Mayor Ashleigh Aitken and Members of City Council
City of Anaheim
200 S. Anaheim Blvd.
Anaheim, CA 92805
RE: Item 28 – Urgent Request to Establish a City-Supported Immigration Legal Defense Fund
Dear Mayor Aitken and Members of the Anaheim City Council,
On behalf of the Orange County Rapid Response Network (OCRRN), we respectfully urge the City of Anaheim to
establish a dedicated immigration legal defense fund to support residents and families impacted by ongoing
immigration enforcement. We recommend an initial allocation of $250,000 in light of the heightened level of ICE
enforcement in the city, and an amount that matches that of the City of Santa Ana’s Legal Defense Fund.
Since 2017, we have earned the trust of communities most impacted by the immigration system. This trust is
reflected in our emergency hotline, which has received over 10,000 calls across Orange County. A significant share
of these calls comes from Anaheim residents, who are the second-highest regional callers after Santa Ana.
One of the most striking calls we received came from an Anaheim resident—the son of Narciso Barranco—who
reported that his father had been brutalized by Border Patrol agents while working at the intersection of Edinger and
Ritchey in Santa Ana on June 21, 2025. Our team responded immediately, just as we have in numerous cases
involving Anaheim residents.
These include a Vietnamese refugee who was taken in front of their Anaheim apartment three years ago through a
ruse involving an ICE officer impersonating a police officer, and who later experienced a severe mental health crisis
due to the destabilizing effects of detention. We also supported a Salvadoran father detained last year at Chapman
Car Wash, whose son with disabilities suffered immensely during his absence. In each case, individuals were
ultimately reunited with their families because they had access to trusted legal representation.
The state of DHS enforcement in Anaheim has worsened significantly. Since June 9, 2025—when we first observed
Border Patrol and ICE Special Response teams detaining residents in public spaces and workplaces, including car
washes, Home Depot locations, parks, and major streets—our community has faced violent and escalating
enforcement actions. While there may be a temporary lull in Border Patrol activity, we continue to receive weekly
reports of ICE surveillance and detentions in Anaheim. Many families are still actively working to secure the release
of their loved ones from detention.
Anaheim has already demonstrated leadership through the Anaheim Contigo Fund, which has provided critical
assistance to hundreds of families facing hardship. However, as city staff have acknowledged, the program remains
limited in scope and resources—particularly in meeting the growing demand for legal representation. Access to legal
defense is a matter of due process and fundamental fairness. Individuals facing deportation without legal counsel are
far less likely to successfully navigate complex immigration proceedings, even when they may have valid claims to
remain in the United States.
We also encourage the City to declare a state of emergency to unlock additional funding. It is apparent that we are
currently experiencing a humanitarian disaster, characterized by a severe scarcity of resources and a devastating
wave of family separations. The mass, often illegal, federal enforcement operations have a catastrophic impact on
community stability, parallel to that of a natural disaster. As Los Angeles County and neighboring cities have
recognized, a disaster demands an emergency response. The priority must shift from routine budgeting to supporting
the material well-being and safety of residents in a disaster. This means unlocking discretionary funds and
responsibly reallocating lower-priority spending—such as social events that many in our terrified community are too
afraid to attend—toward urgent human needs.
Grounded in community leadership, OCRRN collaborates with trusted local legal service providers—including the
OC Public Defender’s Office, Public Law Center, Immigrant Defenders Law Center, CAIR-LA, and the UCI
Immigrant and Racial Justice Solidarity Clinic—to expand access to legal representation and support families
through participatory defense strategies.
Our network has a strong track record of advancing community-centered policies and legal protections. Most
recently, we supported the documentation of unlawful DHS encounters through the Perdomo-Vasquez v. Noem
litigation; helped advance a more effective and accessible U Visa policy in the City of Santa Ana; and advocated for
both the Ayuda Sin Fronteras emergency fund and the renewal of the Santa Ana Immigrant Legal Defense Fund. We
have since expanded this defense fund model to neighboring cities—including Costa Mesa, Buena Park, and
Irvine—as well as to the County of Orange.
Anaheim has been deeply impacted by immigration enforcement activity, and the need for action is urgent. Across
Orange County, cities are recognizing this moment and taking steps to protect their communities. Families in our
city are facing sudden detentions, separation, and extremely limited access to legal support—often with little time to
respond. Most recently, the City of Irvine approved the creation of a legal aid fund to connect immigrant families
with attorneys and ensure timely access to representation—reinforcing the importance of due process and
community safety.
We urge the City of Anaheim to join this growing regional effort by establishing a dedicated immigration legal
defense fund. Doing so will provide critical protection for residents, strengthen families, and uphold the values of
fairness and justice in your community.
Sincerely,
Sandra De Anda
Director of Policy and Legal Strategy
Casey Conway
Director of Organizing
Kelsey Gordon
Director of Advocacy
Karen G. Hernández
Managing Director