Two councilwomen wanted to post a type of immigrant resource page on the city’s website, but were ultimately shot down by their fellow council members as ICE raids continue throughout Orange County.
Author Archives: Hosam Elattar
Hosam Elattar is a Voice of OC/ Report For America reporter covering Anaheim & North Orange County, food insecurity, housing & homelessness, the Arab & Muslim American community and education.
Elattar started at Voice of OC as an intern in January, 2020 and has covered local food banks’ response to the COVID-19 pandemic, School board debates on how to teach history, the decades long push by Arab American business owners to recognize Little Arabia and a corruption scandal at Anaheim City Hall.
He has won several awards from the OC Press Club including Best News Story, Best Political Story and Best Religion Story.
Elattar is Egyptian American and has lived in Botswana, Nepal, Uganda, The Dominican Republic and India.
Posted inCountywide
Will ICE Raids be the Death of Local Swap Meets in Orange County?
With a visible uptick in immigration enforcement sweeps including a recent raid at the Santa Fe Springs swap meet, many vendors are no longer showing up to the local Orange County flea markets they depend on for fear of ICE.
Posted inSanta Ana
Santa Ana Residents Demand Mayor Resign, Citing Weak Response to ICE Raids, Protests
Residents are expressing increasing concerns and frustration over Mayor Valerie Amezcua’s leadership during the ICE raids and the police response to the protests, which they say has been hostile.
Posted inGovernment
Another Wave of Airbnb Regulations May Soon Come to Orange County
Officials in Fullerton and Seal Beach may make adjustments to their short-term rental ordinances as one tries to crackdown on unpermitted operators and the other looks at creating a buffer zone between schools and Airbnbs.
Posted inCountywide
SoCal’s Gas-Powered Water Heaters Won’t Get Phased Out, For Now
Regional air quality leaders are stepping away from a proposal to gradually phase out gas-powered furnaces and water heaters in Southern California amid widespread concerns that a transition to electric appliances will be costly to residents.
Posted inSanta Ana
Santa Ana Approves ‘Last Big Budget’ Ahead of Larger Deficits
Santa Ana is on track to improve their $778 million 2025-26 budget as they are projected to face increasing deficits over the next decade as a sales tax measure sunsets in the next couple of years.
Posted inAnaheim
Anaheim Leans on Disneyland Resort Interests to Boost Affordable Housing
Millions of dollars from Disney are expected to help residents buy their first home, avoid evictions and generate more affordable homes in Anaheim, as officials call for tourism tax dollars to be used to help house Disneyland Resort employees.
Posted inHuntington Beach
Trump’s Sanctuary City List is Removed, Will Huntington Beach Remain on It?
The Department of Homeland Security took down the list days after they posted it following concerns that non-sanctuary cities like Huntington Beach were mistakenly included.
Posted inSafety, Security & Justice
OC Leaders Face Off Against Whether to Tell Residents How Often ICE is in Town
Records show federal immigration officials have been active in three OC cities as federal agents recently arrested people at immigration court in Santa Ana, prompting debate on whether local officials should disclose ICE courtesy calls.
Posted inHuntington Beach
How Did OC’s Most MAGA City Council End Up on Trump’s Sanctuary City List?
Huntington Beach has ended up on a list of sanctuary cities under the microscope by the Department of Homeland Security despite not being a sanctuary city. It also comes after council members publicly directed police officers to disregard California’s sanctuary law.
