SANTA ANA – Three days before Donald Trump assumes the presidency, Orange County’s second-largest city has enacted a law making it a sanctuary for all residents, regardless of immigration status.

The Santa Ana City Council, which unanimously approved the sanctuary ordinance on first reading Dec. 20, on Tuesday voted 6-0 to adopt it, with Councilman Vincent Sarmiento absent.

The ordinance requires the city to implement policies that include prohibiting the use of city resources for immigration enforcement, protecting sensitive information, preventing biased-based policing and directing law enforcement officials to exercise discretion to cite and release individuals instead of detaining them at a local facility or county jail based on the nature of the alleged crime.

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It also calls for the city to provide more training for affected employees and establish a task force made up of community members to advise the City Council on policies related to the ordinance.

Heeding pleas from residents during public comment, council members on Dec. 20 removed the exceptions allowing the use of city resources in the cases of criminal defendants.

Councilman David Benavides, the lead author of the ordinance, said Santa Ana police officers were able to exercise discretion and provide sensitive information to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, but now would be breaking the law if they did so.

Benavides said Santa Ana needs to continue being a haven for immigrants – who make up about 46 percent of the city’s population – and that in light of Trump’s election, “We will continue to look at ramping up our policies, such as the one today.”

Trump has expressed opposition to “sanctuary policies” and in October released his 100-day action plan to “Make America Great Again,” stating that he will “cancel all federal funding to Sanctuary Cities.”

Roberto Herrera, community engagement advocate for the immigrants rights activist group Resilience OC, said his organization is “proud of this moment.”

“For us, it’s about shifting the narrative. Trump is asking to deport the most vulnerable,” Herrera said. “For us, Santa Ana will stand strong and be there for us, for the most vulnerable.”

Last year, Santa Ana received $123 million in federal grants, of which $66.8 million is recurring.

Regarding a potential loss of federal funding, Acting City Manager Gerardo Mouet on Tuesday said: “I’m not worried about that based on my reading.”

Contact the writer: 714-796-7762 or jkwong@ocregister.com or on Twitter: @JessicaGKwong