The husband of Coachella City Councilmember Yadira Perez was arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in a Walmart parking lot, with authorities citing his illegal reentry into the United States and prior criminal convictions as reasons for their actions. Perez, elected to the Council last year, resigned from her post as a deputy with the Riverside County Sheriff's Department following the incident.
Federal authorities confirmed that Perez's husband, 51-year-old Isidro Jimenez, is a Mexican national who was previously deported in 1995 following a conviction for possession of methamphetamine for sale, as the Palm Springs Desert Sun reports.
ICE stated that Jimenez illegally reentered the U.S. and accumulated additional criminal convictions, including domestic violence in 1998, multiple DUIs, and an assault with a deadly weapon in 2023. His case was flagged during a review by ICE's National Criminal Analysis and Targeting Center, leading to his arrest.
The timing of the arrest has raised questions among some community members and political observers, as NBC Palm Springs points out. Perez's election shifted the balance of power in Coachella's city government, leading some to speculate that her husband's arrest may have been politically motivated. Others argue that it was a routine enforcement action, given Jimenez's criminal history and previous deportation.
Jimenez was taken into custody and initially held at a detention center in San Bernardino County. Although he was later released on bond, federal prosecutors have requested a reconsideration of that decision. His legal status remains uncertain as court proceedings continue.
Coachella, designated as a sanctuary city since 2017, limits cooperation with federal immigration enforcement. However, Mayor Steven Hernandez clarified to The Palm Springs Desert Sun that local policies do not prevent federal agents from operating within city limits. "What we should do is continue to let residents know and immigrants know what their rights are," Hernandez said. "But we don't have the power nor authority to stop ICE or the FBI from carrying out those actions."
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