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Last fall, our office invited local businesses to participate in an Economic Impact Survey to better understand how new federal immigration and tariff changes are affecting Orange County’s business community. Participation exceeded our expectations, providing robust data and allowing for meaningful, reliable findings.
Last week, UC Irvine’s School of Social Ecology, led by Dean Jon Gould, Dr. Bill Lester, and Raiven Greenberg, presented their analysis of the survey data. Although not all businesses are directly affected by immigration enforcement or tariff uncertainty, most respondents reported that these federal policies have had a disruptive effect on their operations and the overall economy.
Additional analysis conducted on available purchasing and foot traffic data found that during an 8-week period in the summer, when immigration enforcement was at its peak, OC businesses lost $59 million, and that equated to lost sales tax revenue of $4.5 million. Click here to view all the key findings. Federal policies, particularly those related to immigration enforcement, are often debated with great passion but with limited empirical evidence. This research helps fill that gap by offering objective data that illustrates how policy uncertainty affects our economy, workforce, and local businesses.
 My hope is that this research and analysis helps the country better understand the real costs these policies impose on our communities and encourages more informed decision-making going forward. Click here to view all the key findings.
You can view the presentation of the findings here.
I’m excited to share a new improvement along the Santa Ana River Trail. In collaboration with the City of Orange, we’ve added five new rest stops to make the trail more accessible and comfortable for cyclists, walkers, and families.
 Thanks to the hard work of OC Parks, this project is now a reality and was completed this month. For District 2, where park space is limited, enhancements like this help ensure our residents can enjoy shared open spaces for recreation and leisure.
I was honored to participate on a panel for the 2026 State of Homelessness Address hosted by OC United Way.
I had the opportunity to share some of the innovative work our office is leading, including our Homeless Prevention & Stabilization Pilot Program, the WARM Weather Program providing cold-weather shelter for families, and efforts to implement small-scale housing developments here in Orange County.
 As the cost of living continues to rise, we must keep investing in solutions that help families stay housed and supported. The event was streamed on January 22nd – visit the United Way OC website to view the broadcast.
This year’s annual Downtown Holiday Celebration and Toy Giveaway, usually held on Christmas Eve, had to be postponed due to a dangerous rainstorm that struck the area. But thanks to our nonprofit partners like Neutral Ground, Suavecito Foundation, and United Across Borders Foundation, we were able to reschedule the event to January 8th.
And though it was a little cold, that did not dampen the holiday spirit of the families, kids, and all the volunteers. This year, with all the needs we see in the community, it was especially important that families felt supported with the toys, the food supplies, and other essentials that were distributed. Over 500 families came out to the event, for which 1000 toys were donated.
I want to send a special thank you to the community and schools that helped spread the word and the volunteers that brought so much joy to the kids. The kids were in awe of the arrival of firefighters from the Orange County Fire Authority, who also came out to help spread cheer.
It was an honor to be able to help the community and to celebrate the joy of the holiday with family and friends. Our family has been blessed to be involved in this great tradition for so many years, and though we celebrated late this season, we celebrated together as one community.
  
Last year, I hosted a Silicosis Roundtable to raise awareness of this preventable but serious lung disease, caused by breathing in fine dust from materials like stone and concrete. This disease mainly affects workers in construction and related trades and can cause permanent lung damage.
To help protect local workers from Silicosis, a serious lung disease caused by breathing in fine dust from materials like stone and concrete, I allocated $10,000 in Second District funds for protective gear.
 I am proud to support the work of the Lestonnac Free Clinic to fund a respirator mask program, so workers have proper masks to protect their lungs and reduce harmful dust exposure.
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July 4, 2026, will mark the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence and the birth of the United States.
USA250-OC is a non-partisan initiative to engage and bring together a wide array of Orange County educational, business, labor, local government, civic, faith, ethnic, and arts organizations to celebrate the anniversary and provide educational opportunities.
The effort is focused on the structure of government embodied in the Constitution and the Bill of Rights, their enduring impact, and the historic role of the people of Orange County in the history and development of the United States.
To learn more about the 250th celebration and to access available resources, visit USA 250 Orange County.
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Nick Kim from our office had the opportunity to represent the Second District on behalf of Supervisor Vicente Sarmiento at the grand opening of Santa Ana College’s new 17th Street entrance.
 During the event, he meet with Santa Ana College President Dr. Annebelle Nery. It was also wonderful to see the great work Santa Ana College has done in creating such a beautiful and welcoming entrance. This entrance truly reflects the open opportunities the college offers to the community and to those pursuing higher education.
OC Streetcar arrives in 2026! Local artists are invited to submit portfolios for a chance to be featured in marketing campaigns. Learn more: octa.net/artists.
OC Public Works is performing maintenance repairs along the Santa Ana River Trail to provide a smoother surface for trail users. The Santa Ana River Trail will remain open during maintenance.
Work will begin on the existing Santa Ana River Trailbetween Weir Canyon Rd/La Palma Ave and Lincoln Avenue and will include removal and replacement of damaged sections of asphalt concrete trail and re-establishing striping and stenciling. Traffic control measures such as flag personnel, changeable message signs, and extensive delineation of the work area will be present and moved daily to accommodate the work.
We continue to address public safety concerns related to people congregating along the riverbed and in flood control channels. We face the dual challenge of expanding access to bike paths while controlling these areas to prevent criminal activity and ensuring we provide services to those in need.
In December, OC Operations and Maintenance completed 291 cleanups along Orange County Flood Control District facilities. Of those clean-ups, 123 were within the boundaries of District 2. Just over 42% were located within the city boundaries of Santa Ana. Our crews addressed 80 locations in Santa Ana and an additional 16 locations in the City of Tustin.
I also wanted to share some of the latest before-and-after images of those ongoing efforts. Thank you to OC Public Works for this great work. Click here to request services.
Before After
 Before After
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