As of this morning, Tucson immigrant rights activist Raul Alcaráz Ochoa remained in U.S. Border Patrol custody after being arrested yesterday. However, the Range has learned that Ochoa was released this afternoon and will attend today’s rally in front of the Tucson Police Department, 270 S. Stone Ave., at 4 p.m.
The Range first reported on Alcaráz Ochoa’s arrest yesterday afternoon and continued to post updates through the night.
This morning, Tucson attorney Isabel Garcia confirmed that she visited Ochoa last night at the BP facility off Golf Links Road and he was doing well. She also shared that she was unsure when he would be released and was concerned it wouldn’t be until tomorrow. Because of the President’s Day holiday, Garcia though Ochoa would not be able to go before the federal magistrate until tomorrow morning on charges of interfering with a federal officer.
According to a statement last night from immigrant rights organization Corazón de Tucson, Ochoa, a community organizer with the Southside Worker Center and Corazón, placed himself under a Border Patrol vehicle to prevent BP from detaining and deporting Tucsonan Rene Meza Huertha.
Meza Huertha was reportedly stopped by TPD at 1:30 p.m. and was unable to produced a valid driver’s license. TPD called Border Patrol to detain Meza Huertha. Ochoa witnessed what was taking place, noting that Meza Huertha’s six children and his pregnant wife were with him when he was stopped by police.
At least six Border Patrol agents and four TPD officers on the scene when Alcaráz Ochoa was pepper-sprayed by Border Patrol, dragged out and then arrested.
Although Ochoa was released today, Meza Huertha remains in custody, and supporters at today’s rally are calling for his release and an immediate halt of the cooperation between TPD and Border Patrol.
“This is supposed to be an immigrant friendly city,” Garcia told the Range this morning. “TPD didn’t have to call Border Patrol. They are going against their own counsel. We can no longer point fingers at Pearce and Arpaio. It’s here, too. It’s TPD. These kinds of actions are damaging to Tucson.”
Yesterday, a Border Patrol representative said a statement was waiting approval before being released to media. We’re still waiting for that statement. We’ll have more coverage later today of the rally at TPD and an update on Meza Huertha and Ochoa’s cases.
This article appears in Feb 14-20, 2013.
This is definitely not what i would consider an immigrant friendly city. Been here 10 years from northern ca and this is one of the most racist cities I’ve ever been to
This is suppuse to be immigration friendly. We don’t want illegal ailens in our city. TPD did right calling the Border Patrol. Get the message and get out!
So why would you stay 10 years in a place you didn’t like?????
all are laws should be enforced not just the ones the police, or bp want to. if this were a drug bust and his family was there would he not have been taken to jail in front of them. if you break the law you need to be held responsible for your actions
Raul is my friend he did the right thing. He stood up for what he believed in. I’m happy he’s safe.
“…Meza Huertha was reportedly stopped by TPD at 1:30 p.m. and was unable to produced a valid driver’s license. …Meza Huertha’s six children and his pregnant wife were with him when he was stopped by police…”
Anybody who cannot produce a driver’s license and has six children and a pregnant wife should be deported immediately.
“…Alcaráz Ochoa was pepper-sprayed by Border Patrol, dragged out and then arrested…”
And he should be billed for soaking up the taxpayers’ pepper spray.
We need more cooperation between Border Patrol/ICE and the Tucson Police Department. If you are here illegally, then you are taking your chances. Tucson has and is a city that is pro-illegal and it is costing the city. Anyone who doesn’t have a drivers license on them, is either driving without a license or here illegally. Too bad Raul was released…he’s part of the problem of people thumbing their noses at our laws on immigration.
WHY do we allow any illegal individuals to stay here? My wife is not from this country, yet she is here legally. If you can get here legally, fine…if not….then adios!
Isabel Garcia is She still on Goverment Payroll and How? She works more for Mexico Then U.S.A. why does U.S.A. pay Her Salary and Benefits is this some kind of Expensive Joke to America and American Taxpayers?She Belongs to a 1 Race Only to takeover anyway it can? Also have Their own Military(Brown Berets) to try to take America Over?P.S.Check out Immigration Buzz.Com lookup Atzlan watch Video Foolish Americans Please??????
Listen Mari Hararras and Isabel Garcia: Six children and a pregnant wife, six children and a pregnant wife, six children and a pregnant wife!
You dare say we should have an ounce of compassion, sympathy or understanding for someone who is soooo calus and has taken advantage of what America offers when they are here illegally? SIX CHILDREN AND A PREGNANT WIFE!!!!!!
How is it logical that you would want to pick up the welfare tab for a women with seven children just so you can feel a brief euphoria after deporting her husband? And you are deporting him because he was driving without a license or for having too many children? And why was he pulled over in the first place? Doesn’t say, but it might have been because he was brown and had too many children. Sounds like Bush’s compassionate conservatism to me.