The El Monte man who was detained by immigration officers along with his mother in a widely shared video is speaking out for the first time about his hope for freedom to continue supporting his younger sister as she battles cancer.
Jonathan Tejeda-Perez spoke to NBC4 from a detention center via a video call. He was arrested by immigration officers on Feb. 24 outside his El Monte home in connection with a non-violent offense from about a decade ago that he had already served time for.
“I’ve been clean for seven years now, I’ve done everything correctly,” Tejeda-Perez said. “I’m staying out of trouble. I don’t even have a speeding ticket. I’m doing everything the right way and for them to show up – it was a shock to me.”
The man, who is undocumented, is the main breadwinner in his family as his mother tends to his ailing sister, Xitlali, who is battling bone cancer. Their mother, Yolanda, was also detained by immigration officers the same day as Jonathan but she has since been released from custody to continue caring for her daughter.
“They need me now more than ever,” Jonathan said. “They are depending on me.”
He’s fighting to stay in the country to continue providing for his family through these troubling times. In addition, he’s also wishing to stay in the U.S. out of fear for his safety.
A judge approved bond Tuesday for an El Monte mother, who cares for a daughter with cancer, after she was taken into immigration custody last month. Mekahlo Medina reports for the NBC4 News at 4 p.m. on Tuesday, March 11, 2025.
Jonathan said as a member of the LGBTQ community, he worries about what could happen to him if he is deported back to Mexico, where hundreds of LGBTQ people have been killed. Between 2018 and 2022, 453 members of the community have been killed, according to LGBTQ advocacy group Letra Ese.
“I don’t know how they are going to react, how people treat people like me out there so of course it’s an issue of safety over there,” he said.
“If he goes out there, something bad can happen and we don’t want that to happen to him,” Christian Jimenez, Jonathan’s fiancée, said.
The family is currently being represented by their attorney, David Acalin. Jonathan’s next hearing is scheduled for Tuesday.
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