While legal aid and resources for immigrants are expanding in Orange County, there’s also been growing calls for local police officers to assist federal deportation efforts.
Controversial Westminster City Councilwoman Amy Phan West unsuccessfully tried to direct local police officers to work with ICE – a move that would violate California’s Sanctuary State law as local efforts in OC to increase immigration aid continue.
“I respectfully also ask to agendize one last resolution to have our Westminster police department work hand in hand with ICE to uphold the rule of law, remove illegal, criminal immigrants from our street and to protect our hard working families,” said Phan West, who is running for congress in the 45th district, at Wednesday’s city council meeting.
While her request did not receive support from any of her colleagues, it marked a rare occasion where a local elected official expressed support for the current immigration raids.
Earlier this year, Huntington Beach City Council members directed their police officers to work with federal immigration agents.
[Read:Huntington Beach Disregards California’s Sanctuary Laws, Directs Police to Work With ICE]
District 1 Council Member Amy Phan West at the Westminster, Calif., city council meeting on June 25, 2025. Credity: JOSIAH MENDOZA, Voice of OC
Her failed call comes ahead of nationwide No Kings protests against President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown – and numerous other policies – this past weekend and a federal government shutdown.
[Read: Thousands of People Rail Against ICE Raids, Other Federal Policies in Orange County]
It also comes as an elected official in neighboring Garden Grove is facing scrutiny over comments he made, reportedly calling for police to work with ICE.
Recently, the OC Register reported Garden Grove City Councilman Joe DoVinh received backlash for comments he made in Vietnamese on a radio show calling on police to cooperate with immigration enforcement officers and threatening to fire the police chief.
DoVinh did not address the comments at last week’s city council meeting.
He also refused to answer emailed questions Friday.
In a new release after the No Kings protest, DoVinh said that he supports law enforcement and called for equal protection for all immigrants and their basic human rights.
He also said the city council can fire the police chief.
“In this spirit we have called for our Police Department to cooperate with our City Council to assure that our population is fairly served and protected to which our Council collectively does have a vote of confidence to install and or to remove a Police Chief. This should come at no surprise to anyone,” he said in a Sunday news release.
“Fortunately, we have a compassionate Police Chief and a capable Police Department that serves us very well and doesn’t get baited into commenting on political opinions.”
Garden Grove City Councilwoman Ariana Arestegui said no council member has the power to individually fire a city staff member and collectively they can only fire the city manager and city attorney.
“I want to make sure that there’s no misunderstanding as to what the limits and the extent of our powers are. We are here as a council because we have to make decisions collectively as a body,” she said at the Oct. 14 city council meeting.
“It’s important that in order for us to continue operating and have the public trust that we’re very careful about not creating a difficult environment for our employees or an environment of confusion with our residents.”
Residents, community organizers and activists wait their turn to give public comment during the July 8, 2025, Garden Grove Council meeting. Credit: JULIE LEOPO, Voice of OC
Meanwhile, elected officials are looking to boost immigrant financial aid locally.
Orange County Supervisor Vicente Sarmiento last week announced the expansion of an immigrant resource and aid program, dubbed Safe Access to Food and Essentials, to include $50,000 worth of rent assistance for families facing eviction amid the immigration crackdown.
“The fear is palpable, and the economic impacts to the entire community can be felt. When parents cannot work to support their families, children miss school out of fear, and local businesses struggle to survive, the entire community suffers,” said Supervisor Vicente Sarmiento in a Thursday news release.
Sarmiento’s office launched the program earlier this year, aimed at connecting immigrants to resources for food and legal assistance and educating them about their rights. Latino Health Access will manage the rental assistance aspect of the program.
He, along with community organizations and nonprofits, also rolled out a $1.5 million fund dubbed the OC Liberty Fund earlier this year, aimed at helping immigrant families navigate the legal system.
[Read: Immigration Legal Aid Funds Grow in Orange County]
Fullerton City Council members are expected to consider launching an immigrant legal defense fund at their 5:30 p.m. Tuesday meeting – potentially becoming the third Orange County city to create such a fund after Santa Ana and Costa Mesa.
They may also consider creating an immigrant aid fund like other cities in OC including in neighboring Anaheim.
Downtown Fullerton on Oct. 5, 2025. Credit: ERIKA TAYLOR, Voice of OC
Councilman Ahmad Zahra, who requested the discussion, said he was supportive of both a legal aid and immigrant aid fund geared towards rent and grocery assistance.
“We have a lot of immigrants in our community with families that are impacted by what’s going on and we have also small businesses that are impacted by the workers that are now stuck and hiding in their homes or afraid to come out,” Zahra said in a Friday phone interview.
“This is our responsibility as a community to at least help in whatever way we can, and I think to provide some funds that can assist people to get their lives in order.”
Zahra said he wants to see what other cities have done and that he supports a fund that would receive both public and private investments like in Anaheim.
Fullerton City Councilmembers earlier this year voted to file an amicus brief and coordinate with other cities in support of a lawsuit challenging the immigration sweeps and alleging federal immigration officers are racially profiling people to make warrantless arrests.
[Read: Opposition to ICE Raids Grows in Orange County]
The Future of Immigration Aid Efforts in Santa Ana
Thousands were in attendance at the Oct. 18, 2025, “No Kings” rally in Santa Ana. Credit: JULIE LEOPO, Voice of OC
Also on Tuesday night, Santa Ana leaders at their 5:30 p.m. meeting are expected to give a public update on the impact their immigrant aid program has had in the city and potentially provide direction on whether they will continue it.
According to a city staff report, Santa Ana’s immigrant aid program dubbed Ayuda Sin Fronteras has helped over 100 households, with the city spending over $89,000 out of the $100,000 allocated to the fund in July.
Most of the money went to help families with their utility bills, while five households received only rental assistance and 15 homes received both utility and rent assistance, according to the same report.
The remaining money is expected to run out by the end of the month.
It is unclear if officials will continue to fund the program.
“Staff assessment is that (Ayuda Sin Fronteras) was very successful to provide financial assistance to residents impacted by ICE actions during a critical time,” reads the report.
“However, it would be difficult for Staff to identify and document households that were impacted by ICE actions to continue (Ayuda Sin Fronteras)”
Calls for Police to Assist ICE in Little Saigon
Other officials in Orange County like Phan West are calling for a different response to the widespread immigration sweeps that kickstarted in June.
One where police officers work with ICE.
Westminster City Attorney Scott Porter said trying to direct police officers to work with ICE is a complicated issue.
“It would require a lot of legal research. There’s a lot of work that would go into that,” he said at the Oct. 15 meeting. “That’s a substantial personnel matter that would require a lot of legal background, because here’s the intersection of California law, federal law.”
Westminster Council Member Mark Nguyen, City Attorney Scott E. Porter, and City Manager Christine Cordon at the city council meeting on June 25, 2025 in Westminster, Calif. Credit: JOSIAH MENDOZA, Voice of OC.
California’s sanctuary law bars law enforcement agencies from honoring ICE detainer requests unless that person’s been convicted of a violent or serious felony.
The detainer asks law enforcement officials to notify ICE if an undocumented person is about to be released from jail and could include a 48-hour hold.
Mayor Chi Charlie Nguyen said Westminster is a city of law and order and he appreciates the police department.
“If there is coordination, let them do their job, instead of us getting involved into that,” he said.
Phan West pushed back.
“Now what I’m talking about is just bringing up where we partner with our law enforcement and ICE to make sure we don’t want criminals who are going to rape our children and our wives, and to hurt the people in the city of Westminster,” she responded.
That same night, Phan West successfully got support to bring back a resolution declaring Oct. 14 Charlie Kirk day.
Phan West said the lack of support for the resolution for police to work with ICE will only make her work harder and invoked Kirk, a prominent and outspoken right wing conservative who was assassinated in Utah last month.
“It only makes me work harder to fight for you, and just as Charlie Kirk has worked tirelessly and purposely to save this generation from the lies of the left and the deception of the devil himself,” she said.
“So the Bible says the enemy comes to steal, kill and destroy, but through the courage and sacrifice of leaders like Charlie Kirk…”
Councilman Carlos Manzo interjected during Phan West’s comments.
“She is over here campaigning on the dais, mayor.”
Hosam Elattar is a Voice of OC reporter. Contact him at helattar@voiceofoc.org or on Twitter @ElattarHosam.
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