Many Orange County school children headed back to school this week – after officials in at least four public school districts sharpened their ICE preparations and staff trainings. 

There’s also increased questioning about the legality of the ongoing federal deportation sweeps after a federal judge ordered them halted.

In addition, several cities – including Santa Ana, Anaheim, Fullerton and Irvine – continue adding their support to legal efforts contesting the legality of ICE sweeps in California.

Federal agents load a family into a federal van at the Santa Ana Immigration Court on May 28, 2025. Credit: ERIKA TAYLOR, Voice of OC

Another OC politico headed for sentencing in federal court Friday as Melahat Rafiei, the one-time head of the Orange County Democratic Party and one of the county’s most powerful political consultants, faces sentencing for attempted wire fraud after she admitted to trying to bribe two Irvine City Council members. 

Federal prosecutors asked that Rafiei not face any jail time after her attempted bribery scandal because she helped the FBI take down a corrupt deal to sell Angel Stadium, instead suggesting she pay a $10,000 fine and spend a year on probation. 

Meanwhile, Orange residents continue facing a projected bankruptcy of their city hall in three years, with local city council members scrambling to reverse years of quick fixes and avoid economic ruin by trying to make the historic city more business friendly, removing among other things, hurdles to new developments.

Facing their own ongoing scandal, Orange County Supervisors are stripping District Attorney Todd Spitzer of his office’s human resources department after a jury found he retaliated against an employee for helping others report sexual harassment – leaving taxpayers on the hook for $3 million. Numerous lawsuits around the scandal continue to play out. 

Todd Spitzer, Orange County District Attorney, at the Orange County Registrar of Voters office on Feb. 26, 2024. Credit: ERIKA TAYLOR, Voice of OC

Supervisors this week also opted to keep the county’s private ambulance contractor despite calls from the OC Fire Authority’s Fire Chief and firefighters union to give the county’s largest firefighting agency the chance to handle more medical calls. 

Orange County state legislators also continue to react to widespread injuries and controversy from e-bikes, with a host of new state laws looking to prevent riders from modifying their bike’s speed amid calls for tighter safety restrictions.

Yorba Linda City Council members this week also adopted their own ordinance imposing stricter regulations on e-bike riders in an attempt to address growing concerns over public safety. 

Garden Grove officials last week also moved to ban outdoor advertisements of alcoholic beverages like beer, wine or whiskey near local schools and parks across the city. 

And San Juan Capistrano residents could see a new neighborhood with 225 residential units off the 5 Freeway, featuring a mix of single-family detached houses and three-story townhomes as city officials start studying options for boosting local housing options.