SANTA ANA COLLEGE el Don/eldonnews.org • MONDAY, MARCH 13, 2017
NEWS 3
CONSTRUCTION
Relocation
Safety hazards in the N Building
caused students and faculty of the
Santa Ana College Music Depart-
ment to relocate to the vacant John-
son Center.
On Jan. 11, Department Chair
Brian Kehlenbach was notified that
problems with the roof and venti-
lation in the N Building would force
the music department to relocate to
the soon-to-be demolished Johnson
Center.
“We were lucky it had not been de-
molished because it gave us a place
to move the music department,”
Kehlenbach said. “In just two weeks
the entire music department had to
relocate right before the [Spring] se-
mester began. Luckily, with the help
of the district, college and faculty, it
was done.”
Music student Marcos Salazar said
he wasn’t aware of the move until
he received an email at the end of
January saying classes were going
to be relocated.
The change, however, has been
good. Salazar said he enjoys having
“bigger classrooms, fresher air and
larger areas.” He said the old music
building was cramped.
Most responses to the relocation
have been positive. The N Building
is set to reopen next fall, once the
hazards are repaired.
—Noemi Mosqueda and Jason Martinez
LOCAL / As councilmembers discussed the issue at the March 7 meeting, Santa Ana residents stood holding signs in dissaproval of possibly
renewing the city’s contract with Immigrations and Customs Enforcement.
SANTA ANA / PHOTO AND STORY BY CARLOS DUARTE
ICE SET TO LEAVE CITY JAIL BY END OF MAY
C
ity Council members reached an impasse Tuesday when
voting whether to renew a controversial city contract that
would a llow Santa Ana Jail to house detainees before being
screened by Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
With Vincente Sarmiento absent, an even 3-3 council vote end-
ed any hopes of reviving the ICE contract. Mayor Miguel Pulido,
Council member Jose Solorio and Jose Villegas voted in favor of
renewing the contract. Mayor Pro Tem Michele Martinez, David
Benavides, and Sal Tinajero dissented.
Approval of the contract could have run
counter to Santa Ana’s recent decision to
declare itself a sanctuary city for undoc-
umented immigrants. The proposed con-
tract, which was introduced by Solorio —
a former Rancho Santiago Community
College District trustee — would have
revived the ICE contract, which was due
to sunset at the end of May.
The contract was originally set to expire
in 2020 but was cancelled after Santa Ana
Jail reduced the number of ICE detain-
ees from 200 to 128. ICE then abruptly
decided to terminate the contract on Feb.
23 by issuing a 90-day notice to the city
of Santa Ana.
“I urge you all to reject this and to move
forward and uphold your values as a
sanctuary city,” Hairo Cortes, Program
Coordinator for Orange County Immi-
grant Youth United, told councilmembers
Tuesday night.
The night continued with community
leaders and local residents expressing
their concerns with the potential revival
of the contract. Solorio became a target
for those voicing out their frustrations.
“Some of you unfortunately don’t know
what real hurt is. You don’t know that
when a detention occurs you want your
families to be local,” said Solorio, explain-
ing why he introduced the item.
Solorio’s remarks were met with uproar.
Protesters shouted, “Sell out!” and “Vendi-
do!” which translates to “sold,” implying
that Solorio’s influence has been bought
by special interests.
They later started chanting “Latino
Trump,” at Solorio, forcing the council
into recess as they attempted to calm the
raucous crowd.
Earlier in the evening, the council
debated an ordinance that would regulate
where food trucks can operate within
city limits. It doesn’t ban the trucks, City
Attorney Sonia Carvalho said, quelling
rumors that it would eliminate the thriv-
ing industry.
The future of the ordinance has brick
and motor restaurateurs worried.
“I would like for this ordinance to pass.
I believe in fair competition [and] this
is not fair competition for a restaurant,”
said Arturo Cervantes, a Santa Ana
business owner who’s afraid food truck
vendors parking in front of his restaurant
are detracting potential customers from
walking in the door.
The ordinance will be up for final ap-
proval March 21.