Valerie Amezcua Failed To Provide Transparency About Her Actions During The ICE Terror, Now Inadvertent Is After Her Communication Records
Santa Ana Mayor Valerie Amezcua did not respond to requests for a timeline about her actions during the start of the ICE terror, so we're requesting that the city release her communications.
A request for a timeline with documentation about her response to the ICE terror went unanswered by Santa Ana Mayor Valerie Amezcua last week. On Thursday, Inadvertent emailed Amezcua to her city and campaign email, texted her city and personal phone asking if she would be open to providing a timeline with documentation about her response to the first few days of the ICE terror raids.
Amezcua only responded on her personal phone number saying “Good morning, this is my personal phone. Pls [sic] use my city phone for city business. Thank you”
After two follow ups, the mayor still did not respond to the request for transparency.
As federal agents took people from outside their homes, tackled people down in the streets and raided workplaces, the mayor was seemingly nowhere to be found. There were no immediate statements, updates or press conferences. Her first statement came on Monday. The first line read said that she did not support “unlawful behavior” but that she would always put “community first.”
It went on to state that city resources, included SAPD, would not be used to assist the federal agents in taking people. This is despite SAPD clearing protestors outside of the federal building, providing a passage for agents to drive their vehicles through.
While the extent of SAPD’s role, if any, in assisting the deportation efforts is not clear, Inadvertent will start by obtaining the mayor’s communications during the first days of the ICE terror and the protests.
On Friday, Inadvertent submitted a public records request for the mayor’s emails, texts and Signal messages related to the federal immigration raids and protests between Friday June 6 until June 11.
Part of the request reads:
all of Mayor Amezcua's emails, texts, signal messages and responses to them related to the federal immigration enforcement actions and subsequent protests
keywords: ICE, protest, riot, immigration, enforcement, surveillance, first amendment, injuries, drone, mater dei, use of force, less lethal, destruction
Please first apply this request to conversations between the mayor, any city staff or council member, business owner, BID member, elected officials, city contractors.
Per the CA Supreme Court San Jose ruling, any writing pertaining to the conduct of the public's business is deemed a public record, even if it's on a personal device. I expect the city to follow the guidance that the CA Supreme Court issued in the San Jose ruling.
Given the worldwide attention the ongoing federal actions and protests, I ask that this request be construed as broadly as possible under the California Public Records Act and aforementioned court ruling.
I ask that the city provide the legally-mandated determination for this request within 10 days.
I ask that the city consider that the City of Los Angeles agreed that similar records are indeed public (see: Karen Bass' response to LA fire and the media's requests for her communications).
I ask that if any records deemed public have already been deleted using disappearing messages on Signal, the city provide notice of that in writing.
On Friday, the city clerk acknowledged the request, which the mayor was copied on by Inadvertent. State law requires that they provide an update within 10 days.
This is a developing story and will be updated accordingly.