Attorney Carlos Moctezuma Garcia says the arrest sends a message about speaking out
Carlos Moctezuma GarciaImmigration attorney for Luis Ochoa, speaking to Border Report
Attorney Carlos Moctezuma Garcia said the timing was too big a coincidence to believe and called the arrest a message from ICE about what happens to people who speak out.
Responding to
ICE arrested Teresa Ochoa Briseño in retaliation for her family speaking out against ICE raids.
“That’s too big of a coincidence to believe that she is detained just a week after her United States citizen child was unlawfully detained and arrested and so it’s definitely a message. And in this country it’s something very disconcerting. Because in this country we cherish the First Amendment. We believe that we have a right to speak out against injustice. But this is a clear message, in my opinion this is a clear message that ICE is sending about what the repercussions are for people who decide to speak out.”
Reporting
Reporting
Where this statement fits
Was ICE's deportation of Teresa Ochoa Briseño retaliation for her family speaking out?
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested Teresa Ochoa Briseño, 31, in Alamo, Texas, on Sept. 21, 2026, and removed her to Mexico the same day. Ten days earlier ICE had arrested her 17-year-old son, Luis Ochoa, and in a report KRGV published on Sept. 16 she said justice must be served against the officers involved. Luis Ochoa says ICE detained his mother because of "the Facebook post" and the family's lawsuits; his attorney, Carlos Moctezuma Garcia, says the arrest was retaliation for the family speaking out. DHS says she was arrested in a targeted operation and removed under an order of removal after returning to the country following a July 2025 voluntary return. KRGV reported on Sept. 21 that ICE had not said whether the deportation was connected to the video of her son's arrest.
Source and context
Reporting
About this source
Local television report on the arrest and removal of Teresa Ochoa Briseño. It reproduces ICE's full written statement about her 2025 removal and her Sept. 21 removal, and it quotes attorney Carlos Moctezuma Garcia on the timing. KRGV reports that ICE has not said whether the deportation was connected to the video of her son's arrest.
Archived copy (opens in a new tab)Reporting
About this source
Border Report's interview with Luis Ochoa outside the U.S. Customs and Border Protection processing facility in Edinburg where his mother was held, and with his attorney, Carlos Moctezuma Garcia. It includes Ochoa's account of the Sept. 11 arrests, including his statement that agents said they would pick up relatives without papers, DHS's statement on his mother's arrest and DHS's account of her immigration history.
Before the quotation
Luis Ochoa and Garcia were not allowed into the CBP processing facility in Edinburg where Ochoa Briseño was held, Border Report reported. The teenagers were arrested on Sept. 11 and Ochoa Briseño on Sept. 21.
After the quotation
KRGV reported that ICE has not said whether the deportation was connected to the video of her son's arrest.
How this statement is classified
The label describes this statement's response within the context above.
Why this label?
Garcia says the timing shows the arrest was a message to people who speak out, which criticizes the action as retaliation.
- Recorded on
- Published here
- People and groups discussed
- U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement
More from this case
Read the full caseRep. Cuellar says he is concerned about "the way they moved on the mother" and asks why ICE acted so quickly
“I am concerned the way they moved on the mother. My understanding, it was confirmed by ICE, that the mother was picked up and was deported quickly to Mexico. Why they had to move on this so quickly are questions we want to certainly get to.”Read statement
Luis Ochoa says ICE detained his mother because of his Facebook post
“They detained her because of the Facebook post”Read statement
ICE says Ochoa Briseño was removed in 2025 and reentered before her September arrest
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement
“Briseno was removed to Mexico on July 13, 2025 after accepting a voluntary return following her local arrest on July 11, 2025 for assault causing bodily harm to a family member. Hidalgo County Sheriff’s Office released Briseno to ICE and, on the same day, she was removed to Mexico. On an unknown date and location, Briseno illegally reentered the U.S. On Sept. 21, Briseno was served with an order of expedited removal and deported to Mexico. This administration will uphold immigration law and remove criminal illegal aliens to their home country.”Read statement
Share or embed this statement
The embed keeps its attribution link to The Dispute Index. Credit the image to The Dispute Index and link to the statement page.
Cite this record
- Publisher
- The Dispute Index
- Title
- Attorney Carlos Moctezuma Garcia says the arrest sends a message about speaking out
- First published
- Last updated
- Permalink
- https://disputeindex.com/events/2715-attorney-carlos-moctezuma-garcia-said-the-timing-was
Last updated marks the most recent saved version of this published statement.
The Dispute Index. "Attorney Carlos Moctezuma Garcia says the arrest sends a message about speaking out". First published: 2026-09-26. Last updated: 2026-09-26. https://disputeindex.com/events/2715-attorney-carlos-moctezuma-garcia-said-the-timing-was