Harbor Institute for Immigrant and Economic Justice

Harbor Institute for Immigrant and Economic Justice The Harbor Institute is dedicated to advancing immigrant and economic justice in Orange County.

Santa Ana has never been a city that keeps its head down.It’s a young, working-class, immigrant city with a long history...
10/07/2026

Santa Ana has never been a city that keeps its head down.

It’s a young, working-class, immigrant city with a long history of organizing and resistance. But political power is complicated, an all-Democratic City Council remains deeply divided, residents are increasingly cynical about government, and major fights over immigration, policing, representation and the future of the city are far from settled.

We brought together different voices and perspectives to talk candidly about where Santa Ana politics stands, and where it might be headed.

The Future of Santa Ana Politics: Power, Protest & Leadership in an Immigrant City featured Councilmember Thai Viet Phan, Diego Sarmiento of Santa Ana Youth Vote, and Santa Ana resident Fatima Calderón, moderated by LA Times columnist Gustavo Arellano.

Presented by the Harbor Institute in partnership with SAY Vote.

🎥 Watch the full conversation on YouTube

In his own veto message, Governor Newsom calls the immigration raids “indiscriminate,” and he calls the Trump administra...
10/06/2026

In his own veto message, Governor Newsom calls the immigration raids “indiscriminate,” and he calls the Trump administration’s tactics “horrific” and “a stain on our nation.” Then he vetoed AB 1537, Assemblymember Isaac Bryan’s bill to bar California peace officers from side jobs enforcing federal immigration policy.

The Governor says this is about what officers “choose to do in their free time.” Rounding up our neighbors is not a hobby. Newsom himself calls taking part in these raids a “disturbing role.” No California officer should play that role, on the clock or off.

He says officers who break the rules can already lose their badge. But no state law stops officers from moonlighting for ICE. AB 1537 would have been that law. He says Congress must act to hold the Trump administration accountable, but the bill was on his desk.

Frontline communities who face the brunt of Donald Trump’s draconian tactics can’t afford to shrug and sit back. California is full of those communities.

Last month, the Santa Ana City Council voted 7-0 to advance an ordinance barring all city employees from side jobs in civil immigration enforcement, with a final vote this week. That is what proactive leadership looks like.

Every city in Orange County should follow Santa Ana’s lead. For the sake of every California family living in fear of ICE’s brutality, we wish the Governor had as well.

10/06/2026

Congressman Derek Tran entered office with a reputation as a champion for immigrant and refugee communities. VietRISE Executive Director Tracy La says his record in Congress has failed to live up to that promise.

Tran was among the House Democrats who voted for the Laken Riley Act, which massively expanded mandatory immigration detention, including by requiring the detention of certain undocumented immigrants who are merely arrested or charged with specified crimes, not convicted. Tran also voted Yes on a resolution to thank ICE.

For La, those votes hit differently in Little Saigon, a refugee community where families are once again confronting detention and deportation. In a recent conversation on The Vietnamexe Podcast she challenged Tran over what she describes as a growing divide between the pro-immigrant politics he campaigned on and the record he has built in Washington.

“When it came to the policy and fighting for immigrant communities … you disappointed so many of us.”

For Little Saigon, representation has to mean more than having a Vietnamese name in Congress. La argues it has to mean standing up for the immigrant and refugee communities that put you there.

10/02/2026

As GKN Aerospace prepares to resume operations following a chemical emergency that forced 50,000 residents to evacuate, our coalition is demanding that the Garden Grove City Council take action: impose a moratorium on the expansion of existing hazardous military manufacturing facilities and the establishment of new ones.

“Are you going to support a moratorium on military manufacturing facilities, or are you going to prioritize the corporate interests of GKN?”
— Carlos Perea, Harbor Institute

With an election just weeks away, our coalition is pressing every candidate running for mayor and City Council to take a position. So far, we have yet to see candidates publicly commit to the moratorium our coalition is demanding. Garden Grove residents deserve to know where those seeking to represent them stand.

The City Council has had months to act. Holding GKN accountable means more than demanding answers from the company. It means using the city’s legislative powers to protect residents and prevent another disaster.

09/21/2026

We’re closing out Justice on Tap this Thursday 🍻

For our final talk of the summer, Dr. Alfredo Carlos, Professor of Labor Studies at Cal State Dominguez Hills, is joining us to talk about inequality, the economy, and migration.

Come hang out with us at El Indio Botanas y Ce***zas in Downtown Santa Ana.

Thursday, September 24 | 5:30–7 PM

Tickets through the link in our bio or at bit.ly/hisummer26

Last month, we packed a room in Santa Ana to talk about the future of the city’s politics.One year after ICE raids shook...
09/15/2026

Last month, we packed a room in Santa Ana to talk about the future of the city’s politics.

One year after ICE raids shook Santa Ana, The Future of Santa Ana Politics: Power, Protest & Leadership in an Immigrant City brought together Councilmember Thai Viet Phan, Diego Sarmiento, and Fatima Calderon for a conversation about City Hall, youth and community power, and what political leadership should look like in a young, immigrant city. L.A. Times columnist Gustavo Arellano moderated the conversation.

Thank you to our partners at Santa Ana Youth Vote and everyone who came out and filled the room.

Santa Ana’s politics have been changing, and so are the expectations of those who govern it. This was the first of Harbor Institute’s The Future of… conversations.

Full video coming soon.

🍺 Grab a b**r and join us for the final Justice on Tap of the summer.Join us on September 24 with Dr. Alfredo Carlos of ...
09/15/2026

🍺 Grab a b**r and join us for the final Justice on Tap of the summer.

Join us on September 24 with Dr. Alfredo Carlos of CSU Dominguez Hills for a conversation on inequality, the economy, and migration.

What does economic inequality have to do with migration? Dr. Carlos will explore how larger economic forces shape why people migrate and the conditions immigrant communities face once they arrive.

📅 Thursday, September 24 | 5:30–7 PM
🎙️ Dr. Alfredo Carlos, CSU Dominguez Hills

🍺 Hosted in partnership with El Indio Botanas y Ce***za in Santa Ana.

🎟️ Tickets are $25 and include admission and one b**r. All proceeds support the Harbor Institute’s research and advocacy for immigrant and economic justice.
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/justice-on-tap-inequality-the-economy-and-migration-tickets-1994391082415?aff=ebdsoporgprofile

Come close out our first summer of Justice on Tap with us.

Residents and community organizations have spent months demanding that the Garden Grove City Council restrict hazardous ...
09/10/2026

Residents and community organizations have spent months demanding that the Garden Grove City Council restrict hazardous manufacturing near homes and schools, stop GKN’s expansion, and adopt a moratorium and buffer zone restricting hazardous military manufacturing near residential neighborhoods and schools.

The GKN Out of Garden Grove coalition has also released new research documenting years of safety and hazardous-waste problems at the facility, including a smaller evacuation last year following a tank supply-line rupture.

City officials initially called for accountability and demanded answers from GKN. But as residents have pushed City Hall to turn those words into policy, the response has become more muted.

As of September 8, Councilmember Yesenia Muñeton has remained supportive of adopting a moratorium. Mayor Pro Tem George Brietigam and Councilmember Joe DoVinh have have been unclear about or walked back their positions. Mayor Stephanie Klopfenstein and Councilmembers Cindy Tran, Ariana Arestegui and Phillip Nguyen have not taken a clear position in support of the moratorium.

Meanwhile, GKN is preparing to return to full operations by the end of September, while the proposed protections remain unenacted.

What began as a chemical emergency has become a political test for Garden Grove: whether hazardous military manufacturing should continue operating this close to homes and schools—and whether City Hall is willing to change the rules.

Santa Ana is a young, immigrant city. What kind of politics does that demand?One year after ICE raids shook the city, Th...
08/21/2026

Santa Ana is a young, immigrant city. What kind of politics does that demand?

One year after ICE raids shook the city, The Future of Santa Ana Politics brings together youth, residents, and local leaders for a live conversation about power, protest, City Hall, and what comes next.

Moderated by:
Gustavo Arellano — L.A. Times Columnist

Featuring:
Thai Viet Phan — Santa Ana Councilmember
Diego Sarmiento — Santa Ana Youth Vote
Fatima Calderon — Santa Ana Resident
Alvaro Nuñez — Santa Ana City Manager

📅 Wednesday, August 26 | 6–8 PM
🎟️ Register through the link in bio. Location shared upon registration.

08/20/2026

Cold b**r 🤝🏽 learning.

Join us this Thursday, August 20 for the next Justice on Tap: Global Trade and the Root Causes of Migration from Latin America with Iza Camarillo of the UCI Labor Center.

Grab a b**r and learn how global trade and economic policies have shaped migration from Latin America—and what that means for our communities today.

📍 El Indio Botanas y Ce***zas | Downtown Santa Ana
🍺 One b**r included with admission
🎟️ Tickets through the link in our bio.

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