Rep. Cuellar says he is concerned about "the way they moved on the mother" and asks why ICE acted so quickly
Henry CuellarU.S. Representative from Texas and ranking member of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Homeland Security
Rep. Henry Cuellar said he was concerned about the way ICE moved on Teresa Ochoa Briseño, and said he wanted answers on why ICE moved so quickly to deport her to Mexico.
“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.”
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
Rio Grande Guardian report on Rep. Henry Cuellar's Sept. 22, 2026 press briefing in Alton, Texas. It quotes him on body cameras after the Austin shooting, on the Alamo confrontation and on the quick removal of the mother, and on data-center legislation.
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
Cuellar spoke at a press conference in Alton, Texas, on Sept. 22, 2026, the day after ICE removed Ochoa Briseño to Mexico. Rio Grande Guardian reported that he made the remark while addressing a separate confrontation in Alamo involving two local youths and their mother, as part of remarks focused on body cameras for ICE agents.
After the quotation
In the same press conference, Rio Grande Guardian reported, Cuellar said he had asked ICE whether officers in an Austin shooting were wearing body cameras and when recordings would be available.
How this statement is classified
The label describes this statement's response within the context above.
Why this label?
The case asks how people responded to ICE's arrest and removal of Teresa Ochoa Briseño and to the claim that it was retaliation. Cuellar said he was concerned about the way ICE moved on her and that why it had to act so quickly was a question he wanted answered. He did not address the retaliation claim. Because he expressed criticism of how ICE handled the removal and offered no defense of it, we labeled it Condemned.
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- U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement
More from this case
Read the full caseLuis Ochoa says ICE detained his mother because of his Facebook post
“They detained her because of the Facebook post”Read statement
Attorney Carlos Moctezuma Garcia says the arrest sends a message about speaking out
“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.”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
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The Dispute Index. "Rep. Cuellar says he is concerned about "the way they moved on the mother" and asks why ICE acted so quickly". First published: 2026-09-29. Last updated: 2026-09-29. https://disputeindex.com/events/3309-rep-henry-cuellar-said-he-was-concerned-about