Santa Ana bans city employees from moonlighting for ICE

Santa Ana employees are prohibited from obtaining outside employment that involves federal immigration enforcement activities. The City Council unanimously adopted the policy on Tuesday night.

What does this mean?

It means an employee’s outside employment can’t involve immigration enforcement duties, such as investigating, arresting, detaining, transporting, or deporting people for federal agencies like Immigration and Customs Enforcement or private contractors assisting federal enforcement. The policy does not prohibit employees from getting outside jobs with the U.S. Armed Forces or with the Department of Homeland Security, according to city records.

Why it matters

Santa Ana is home to the largest concentration of Latino residents in Orange County. It's also the county's only self-proclaimed sanctuary city, a designation that limits local cooperation with federal immigration authorities.

Last summer, ICE raids rattled the city and sparked growing protests.

It’s not immediately clear how many city employees this policy will affect. The effort mirrors a similar law currently being considered at the state level that prohibits California peace officers from moonlighting as ICE agents. The city of Los Angeles adopted a similar policy in March.

What does the policy say?

The ordinance states that outside employment that involves immigration enforcement duties “creates an actual and perceived conflict of interest, exposes the City employee to divided loyalties between their city duties and outside compensation, and undermines community trust in city government generally and in the Santa Ana Police Department in particular.”

What’s next?

A second vote on the policy is required at the next City Council meeting on Oct. 6.