A California city councilwoman’s husband, an illegal immigrant with an extensive criminal record, was arrested in dramatic fashion by federal agents in a Walmart parking lot, sparking outrage from his wife. Isidro Jimenez-Ibanez, the 51-year-old husband of California councilwoman Yadira Perez, was taken into custody by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) as part of a “targeted enforcement action.”
According to Newsweek, Jimenez-Ibanez, who entered the country illegally from Mexico, has a long history of criminal activity, including convictions for domestic violence, DUI, and assault with a deadly weapon. Video footage of the incident shows Perez in distress as her husband is apprehended. She accuses authorities of failing to provide proper documentation for his detention, despite his record.
“These are FBI agents who work for Border Patrol. I want everybody to know!” Perez can be heard saying in the video. “Eight FBI agents surrounded us and said they had a deportation order for my husband. They never showed me anything. They never showed my husband anything,” she later added.
The couple has been married for two decades, and Perez insisted that her husband had already “paid for” his crimes and was living a normal life in the U.S.
“Whatever he did, he paid for it,” she said. “And he had been here doing everything he had to do. We did our taxes.”
Watch:
NEW: California councilwoman’s illegal immigrant husband gets arrested by federal agents in a Walmart parking lot.
Yadira Perez is distraught as her husband, Isidro Jimenez-Ibanez, now faces deportation.
Jimenez-Ibanez has an “extensive criminal record,” as reported by Newsweek… pic.twitter.com/iGgprd4Cn1
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) March 5, 2025
However, federal authorities have taken a different stance. ICE, which has ramped up enforcement efforts under mounting pressure to address the ongoing immigration crisis, targeted Jimenez-Ibanez due to his criminal history and illegal status. The arrest comes at a time when California’s sanctuary policies have made the state a battleground for immigration enforcement.
While progressive lawmakers continue to shield illegal immigrants from deportation, federal authorities are cracking down on those with criminal records. Jimenez-Ibanez now faces deportation proceedings, but Perez and her supporters are expected to push back against his removal.
Whether her political connections will play a role in his fate remains to be seen.
The Coachella City Council Member also resigned from her role at the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department after her husband’s arrest according to NBC. Having served the department for nearly 20 years, Perez chose to step down following notifications of an impending investigation into her involvement with the case.
The incident has intensified scrutiny on Perez’s roles, affecting her standing in both the Sheriff’s Department and the City Council. While she has relinquished her department position, her continued service on the Coachella City Council remains uncertain. As of now, local officials have yet to clarify her status or future with the council.
Jimenez-Ibanez is among those recently apprehended in a string of illegal re-entry cases. Removed from the U.S. in 1995 following a conviction for possession of methamphetamine for sale, Jimenez-Ibanez later returned illegally. Two years ago, he was convicted again, this time in Riverside County for assault with a deadly weapon.
Currently out on bond, his next court appearance is scheduled for April according to KESQ.
