Costa Mesa leaders are looking to take a stronger stand against an aggressive federal deportation dragnet amidst increasing reports of neighborhoods frozen in fear of getting caught up in the widespread ICE sweeps that started this summer.

That fear has left some families in town sheltering at home – scared to go to school, to buy groceries and even visit the doctor, with some people missing work and forfeiting their paycheeks in hopes they won’t be separated from their loved ones.

“It hurts to see my community being attacked for the color of their skin, our football fields without kids, our streets without kids playing with a ball, our fruit vendors in hiding,” said one resident in Spanish at Tuesday’s city council meeting in Costa Mesa.

“People can’t report domestic violence and crimi

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