Transgender woman arrested by ICE a Zumba instructor, domestic worker

Irvin Gonzalez, the transgender woman arrested by ICE agents in early February after filing a protective order at the county courthouse, appeared in court Monday for an Evidentiary hearing. Her public defender requested that Gonzalez receives estrogen treatment. The judge said she will allow Gonzalez to receive the minimum amount of estrogen.

The judge is also ordering a complete mental and physical evaluation of Gonzalez.

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Irvin Gonzalez, was arrested by ICE agents in early February after filing a protective order at the county courthouse, remains jailed without bond at the El Paso County Detention Facility.

ABC-7 has learned Gonzalez, an alleged victim of domestic violence, had an extensive criminal history and had been deported from the U.S. six times. Gonzalez’s criminal history includes convictions for Illegal Re-Entry, Larceny/From Mail, False Imprisonment (three times), Assault, Probation Violation, and Domestic Violence.

The National Domestic Workers Alliance is supporting Gonzalez. Court Documents state Attorney Andrew Lafayette Steed is representing Gonzalez in her criminal case for unlawful re-entry into the US and immigration attorney Melissa Untereker is representing Gonzalez during immigration proceedings.

A criminal complaint obtained by ABC-7 states Gonzalez was at the county courthouse to file a protective order against Mario Alberta de Avila, who recently bonded out of jail after he was charged with Forgery of a Financial Instrument. “She (Gonzalez) had been kicked, punched, slapped, she had been chased around with a knife, she had a knife thrown at her. So she came to our office seeking a protective order and seeking protection from her partner,” County Attorney Jo Anne Bernal said last week.

“The arrest is really going to send a chilling effect to our communities and send a message, to not just victims of crime and domestic violence, but also witnesses to crime, that they themselves can’t come forward to seek protection and report on crimes,” Untereker said, adding her goal is to have the charges against her client dropped so that she can remain in the US.

The 33-year-old Gonzalez is a Zumba instructor who also cleans houses, said Marza Zukowska, with the NDWA. “We want to show, specifically in this case for Ms. Gonzalez, that there is a strong level of community support, strong and diverse community support across the country showing this is her home and that no immigrant is expendable,” Zukowska said.

Last week, the county attorney said Gonzalez’s is entitled to legal representation, regardless of her criminal history.

Bernal and El Paso Congressman Beto O’Rourke met with ICE and Homland Security officials to discuss Gonzalez’s apprehension. Both said they were encouraged by the meeting. “The special agent in charge admitted there will be lessons to be learned. We wanted to hear that. There will be better communication with the judge and attorney moving forward and he committed to more training for enforcement agents going forward,” O’Rourke said.

“For victims of domestic violence, what we heard (Friday) from federal officials, was a real commitment to understanding that victims in this community need to be protected and that they will respect and honor the safety of places like the protective order court,” Bernal said.

Untereker said she agrees with Bernal and O’Rourke that immigrants, whether legal or undocumented, need to be able to trust law enforcement. “This case is extraordinary. I think, especially in El Paso, our communities have worked really hard to create a trust between the immigrant community and law enforcement,” she said.