U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement said a mother and son living in the country illegally both had criminal records, following outcry over their detention in California last month.
Yolanda Perez and her son, Jonathan Tejeda-Perez, were apprehended near their house in El Monte, a Los Angeles suburb, on February 24. ICE agents claimed to have a warrant but never showed it to the family, according to Fox Los Angeles.
Yolana Perez’s daughter, Xitali Tejeda, informed the news site that her mother was ambushed while relocating her car for a city street sweeper when her brother attempted to intervene. ICE agents filmed Yolanda Pedrez crying as they grabbed her, stating, “They’re going to take me.”
According to the family, the mother has no criminal background and is the primary caregiver for her 21-year-old daughter, who cannot walk and is battling cancer.
The community has rallied around the family. U.S. Rep. Gil Cisneros, D-Calif., who represents El Monte, blasted the arrest this week.
“These arrests are sickening, and I have grave concerns with how these arrests were reported to have been carried out by ICE,” Cisneros said in a statement. “The 31st District is home to many immigrant families who came to our country wanting to contribute to our communities and local economy.”
“This El Monte family was simply trying to care for the youngest daughter and work to provide her with the healthcare treatments she needs. Stoking fear, targeting our community members, and ripping apart families is not an acceptable solution for our broken immigration system,” he added. “We need humane comprehensive immigration reform that addresses bad actors, but still upholds our American values and helps bring immigrants who have been living in our country out of the shadows. My office will continue to monitor this situation.”
“The overwhelming majority of immigrants like Yolanda have been living in the United States for years and make valuable contributions as farmers, frontline workers, and essential employees,” he added. “We need to give immigrants a fair chance and support legal immigration with a structure to apply for citizenship.”
An ICE spokeswoman informed Fox News Digital that Yolanda Perez illegally entered the United States at an unknown time and date. In July 2005, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department arrested her on charges of stealing.
Jonathan Tejeda-Perez, who entered the United States illegally at some point, has been arrested many times, according to ICE. The sheriff’s department arrested him in 2014 for possession of a controlled substance, possession of unlawful paraphernalia, and driving without a license, then again in 2015 for possession of unlawful paraphernalia, driving without a license, and possession of a controlled substance in 2016.
Tejeda-Perez was also arrested in 2017 by the Arcadia Police Department for possession of a controlled substance, the Los Angeles Police Department for property theft, and the United States Postal Inspection Service in Los Angeles for theft or receiving stolen mail.
In that case, he was convicted of stealing or receiving stolen mail.
Both the mother and the son are being held in detention pending immigration proceedings. The ICE operation was consistent with the Trump administration’s order that criminal illegal aliens be apprehended and deported.