Santa Ana Moves Toward Termination of ICE Jail Contract

As a result of the recent presidential election and President-elect Trump’s stance on the deportation of illegal immigrants, leaders of the city of Santa Ana, California, are looking to quickly end its controversial contract with U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) at the Santa Ana Jail. The Santa Ana city council already had voted in May, 2016, to gradually phase out the ICE contract, although many immigration advocates had called for an immediate cessation of the contract. The current contract is set to expire June 30, 2020; the council previously voted to not renew the contract, but not to end it earlier absent a concrete plan to finance the remaining debt on the jail facility, which was over $24 million in May. However, the presidential election may have pushed some council members over the edge on this issue; several council members have now called for the city to look into immediately terminating the ICE contract, which can occur if either ICE or the jail gives one another a 90-day notification of cancellation. Many consider Santa Ana to be a sanctuary city, as half of the city’s residents were born outside of the United States. Currently, the jail holds about 163 detainees, for which ICE pays the city $105 per day. This number is down from about 240 detainees in March, 2016. The Santa Ana Jail also houses the nation’s first dedicated holding facility for transgender immigrants detained by ICE; there are approximately 29 such immigrants currently held at Santa Ana. Along with its move to end the ICE contract sooner rather than later, the city of Santa Ana hopes to maintain the jobs of existing employees assigned to the ICE detainees by shifting them into other open positions with the city. At Landerholm Immigration, A.P.C., we are here to help you through your deportation proceedings, how matter how complex or lengthy they may be. We can investigate your case, evaluate your ability to avoid deportation, and begin building the strongest defenses possible in your deportation proceedings. Since our law firm exclusively focuses all of our efforts on defending people just like you in deportation proceedings, we have unparalleled skills and knowledge that can be essential to being successful in your deportation case. Call us today and arrange an initial appointment with our Oakland deportation defense attorneys.