City Council members adopted a resolution declaring Santa Ana “a sanctuary for all its residents, regardless of their immigration status.” They also took another step toward ending the city’s contract with ICE to hold immigration detainees in the city jail.
Author Archives: Nick Gerda
Nick covers the city of Santa Ana, as well as the County of Orange, often reporting on issues like homelessness, public safety, mental health, and the role of money in politics.
Since joining Voice of OC in 2011, Nick has regularly shed light on topics that are often kept in the shadows. He’s reported on systemic problems in the county’s mental health system. He also led a reporting team that produced sophisticated looks at how the Disney corporation campaign contributions influenced recent elections in Anaheim.
Nick also revealed evidence of elected leaders using their official powers to apparently pressure government contractors into donating to their election campaigns, in an article that was awarded best news story of the year by the Orange County Press Club. He firmly believes journalism should inform the public and help hold the powerful accountable.
An Orange County native, Nick first started covering local government in his mid-teens, before attending Santa Ana College, the American University in Cairo, and UC Irvine, where he graduated with a bachelor’s degree in political science.
Languages spoken: English, elementary Spanish, minimal Arabic and minimal Japanese
Areas of expertise: Local government, local politics, homelessness, mental health policy, campaign finance, California Public Records Act, Ralph M. Brown Act, County of Orange government, Santa Ana city government and municipal finance.
Posted inOutdoors, Santa Ana, Top Stories
Santa Ana Officials Hope to Alleviate Housing Crisis With Community Land Trust
The idea is to involve community members in developing vacant city-owned properties – many of which are empty dirt or gravel lots – into affordable housing, parks, urban micro-farms, and marketplaces for small businesses.
Posted inUncategorized
Concilio de Santa Ana Listo Para Declararse “Ciudad Santuario”
Santa Ana será la primera ciudad en el Condado de Orange en unirse a otras grandes ciudades como Los Ángeles y San Francisco en desafiar las medidas contra los inmigrantes indocumentados de presidente electo, Donald J. Trump, si los miembros del consejo aprueban una resolución el martes.
Posted inSanta Ana, Transportation
Santa Ana Set to Declare ‘Sanctuary City’ Status
Santa Ana will be the first in Orange County to join major cities like Los Angeles and San Francisco in defying President-elect Donald J. Trump’s promised crackdown on unauthorized immigrants if council members pass a resolution Tuesday.
Posted inCountywide, Economy, Government, Investigative, Top Stories
Why Did Andrew Do Reject a Popular Crime Prevention Program?
The county supervisor shot down a state-funded pilot program that would have brought social workers into the public defender’s office to help with prisoner re-entry. Elsewhere, similar programs have been found to be hugely successful.
Posted inGovernment, Housing & Homelessness, Top Stories
County’s ‘Courtyard’ Homeless Shelter Gets Mixed Reviews
The new shelter in downtown Santa Ana, known as the Courtyard, has helped provide a safe place for hundreds of homeless people to sleep at night. But problems have come along with the progress.
Posted inGovernment, Top Stories
New Restrictions on Public Comments Stir Debate at OC Supervisors’ Meetings
While the citizens of Orange County were casting ballots on Election Day, the county’s elected Board of Supervisors voted to restrict how often and how long people can speak at public meetings.
Posted inCountywide, Government, Investigative, Top Stories
Grand Jury Latest to Launch Probe of Jailhouse Snitch Scandal
The county grand jury is investigating alleged illegal conduct by prosecutors and sheriff’s deputies relating to an informants network inside county jails. Grand jurors are being aided by a former United States attorney.
Posted inSanta Ana
Consejo de Santa Ana Enfrenta a Trump y a Sindicato de Policias
La respuesta al Presidente-Electo Donald Trump del consejo de Santa Ana es una declaracion del cuidad santuario. Tambien el consejo se enfrenta al syndicato de policias por sus tacticas durante las eleciones.
Posted inInvestigative, Santa Ana, Transportation
Santa Ana City Council Ready to Battle With Trump, Police Union
In response to President-elect Donald Trump’s vow for more deportations, council members declared Santa Ana a “sanctuary city.” And they harshly criticized the police union’s tactics during the election campaign.
