Thread: Border Patrol arrests Tucson immigration activist

Border Patrol arrests Tucson immigration activist

Posted: Feb 18, 2013 12:28 PM by Brian White
Updated: Feb 18, 2013 12:30 PM



TUCSON - An immigration activist was arrested by the Border Patrol Sunday when he intervened in a stop by Tucson Police.

Raul Ochoa was arrested near Ninth Avenue and 23rd Street after crawling under a Border Patrol car, reports indicate.

He was intervening in a stop involving a father of six by Tucson Police. The Border Patrol was called out to the scene. Ochoa then laid under the Border Patrol vehicle, where he was pepper sprayed and arrested, according to reports.

Border Patrol agents took several of the suspects into custody for being illegally present in the U.S., Border Patrol spokesman Jeremy Copeland said.

As of Sunday evening, an attorney was still trying to locate Ochoa.

http://www.kvoa.com/news/border-patrol-arrests-tucson-immigration-activist/

well he is doing he job that more then the gov & senator or obama doing to help Our country
No DR Lic No amnesty Or dream act

Tucson arrests unleash anger over Arizona immigration law

Arrests of an activist and a father of six highlight tension over Arizona's illegal-immigration enforcement law.

Relatives of Rene Meza join a Tucson protest over his arrest and that of an activist under Arizona's controversial illegal-immigration enforcement law. (Valeria Fernandez, Associated Press / February 18, 2013)

By Cindy Carcamo, Los Angeles TimesFebruary 18, 2013, 10:06 p.m.


TUCSON — It's routine for immigration officials in Arizona to detain people suspected of being in the country illegally.

Monday, however, the detention of two men — an immigrant rights activist and a father of six in Tucson — sparked protests, frustrated local authorities and illustrated the difficulties of complying with SB 1070, the state's controversial immigration enforcement law.

"This is unjust," Alma Hernandez yelled in Spanish to a crowd of about 300 that gathered in front of the Tucson Police Department to protest the detentions. Hernandez, a spokeswoman with the civil rights organization Corazón de Tucson, riled up the crowd by introducing immigrant rights activist Raul Alcaraz Ochoa, who had just been released from immigration detention.

"We need to fight for all those who are detained," Alcaraz Ochoa said.

Immigration officials arrested him Sunday after he positioned himself underneath a U.S. Customs and Border Patrol vehicle in an attempt to stop officials from taking away another man, Rene Meza.

The incident began Sunday afternoon after someone called Tucson police expressing concern for the safety of children in a silver Mercury Cougar, Lt. Fabian Pacheco said.

Officers discovered five children in the vehicle, along with Meza and his girlfriend, Perla Lopez. Four of the children were younger than 5 and were not in proper safety restraints as required by law, Pacheco said.

Meza had a Mexican voter registration card but no valid U.S. driver's license, Pacheco said. Police arrested Meza and called immigration officials after federal records revealed he had prior contact with them.

Meza was charged with being in the country illegally after a previous deportation, Customs and Border Protection spokesman Victor Brabble said. Meza is scheduled to go before an immigration judge Tuesday.

Under SB 1070, Arizona law enforcement officials are compelled in most circumstances to check the status of someone they stop for lawful reasons if they suspect the person is in the country illegally.

Pacheco said the officers were simply enforcing the law.

"The department is stuck in the middle," Pacheco said. "Our discretion is gone."

Soon after Tucson police flagged immigration officials, Border Patrol officers drove up.

Alcaraz Ochoa, who was on his way to a community meeting, saw what was happening and approached the officials.

"They took the father, and the children were crying and asking for their father," Alcaraz Ochoa said.

Alcaraz Ochoa, a legal permanent resident and prominent immigrant rights activist best known for participating in a sit-in at Republican Sen. John McCain's office in 2010, said he began to question the officials. Dissatisfied with their answers, he crawled underneath the Border Patrol vehicle.

He said Border Patrol officials pepper-sprayed him, removed him from beneath the vehicle and handcuffed him.

Brabble said Border Patrol agents arrested Alcaraz Ochoa after he failed to respond to repeated warnings and refused to move from beneath the vehicle.

Meza may also face state charges of driving with a suspended license and of not having the children in proper restraints. Lopez, a U.S. citizen, was not detained.

Lopez's mother, Lydia Lopez, said the children weren't restrained properly because the family had just bought the vehicle from a private owner moments earlier and didn't have the safety seats with them. She said the punishment is too extreme.

"It's not justified," Lopez said in Spanish.
cindy.carcamo@latimes.com

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-ff-arizona-activist-20130219,0,5398135.story

This is from the activists news site, "The Range"
UPDATE: Border Patrol Arrests Tucson Activist Raul Ochoa

POSTED BY MARI HERRERAS ON SUN, FEB 17, 2013 AT 11:49 PM

The Range just learned that Tucson immigrant rights activist Raul Ochoa was taken into custody today by five U.S. Border Patrol and three Tucson Police Department officers. Ochoa's friends and fellow activists are urging supporters to call Border Patrol at 514-4700 to demand his release. The Range has calls to Border Patrol and TPD to get more information on why Ochoa was arrested and will post updates.
UPDATE: The Range talked to a public information officer with U.S. Border Patrol. A statement will be released as soon as it is approved. Immigrant rights organization Corazon de Tucson is also expected to release a statement soon, too.
Ochoa was reportedly arrested after trying to intervene on behalf of a father of five who was stopped by TPD. Although TPD has said in the past that it doesn't call and will not Border Patrol, it in fact called Border Patrol. A march is being planned downtown tomorrow at 4 p.m. More details soon.
UPDATE: The Range just talked to Pastor Allison Harrington of the Southside Presbyterian Church who provided some information on why Ochoa was arrested today. Ochoa is a coordinator at the Southside Worker Center located at the church.
The incident occurred near Ninth Avenue and 23rd Street. As we reported earlier, Ochoa was trying to intervene on behalf of a father of five who was stopped by TPD and Border Patrol was called to the scene.
Reportedly Ochoa laid under a Border Patrol vehicle. Border Patrol responded by pepper spraying Ochoa before he was taken into custody. Currently, attorney Isabel Garcia is still trying to locate Ochoa.
The march downtown tomorrow was confirmed. It will take place at 4 p.m. in front of Tucson Police Department headquarters at 270 S Stone Ave. There will also be a press conference.
FINAL UPDATE FOR THE NIGHT: The Range received the statement and press release from Corazon de Tucson, which you can read after the jump. We will continue to follow this story tomorrow and provide updates when we receive more information. Border Patrol has yet to release a statement on Ochoa's arrest.
Press Release From Corazon de Tucson:

February 17, 2013South Tucson — At approximately 2:30 pm this afternoon, Raúl Alcaráz Ochoa, a community organizer with the Southside Worker Center and Corazón de Tucson, placed himself under a Border Patrol (BP) vehicle to prevent
officials from detaining and deporting Tucsonan Rene Meza Huertha. He was subsequently detained by BP officials.
At approximately 1:30pm the Tucson Police Department (TPD) pulled over Meza Huertha, along with his expectant wife and six children. TPD, in direct contradiction of previous statements promising to be more "immigrant
welcoming," called Border Patrol to take Mr. Huertha into custody. Mr. Alcaráz Ochoa, a long time advocate against massive deportations in our community and country, placed himself underneath the vehicle in which Mr. Huertha was detained. At the time of his detainment, there were at least six Border Patrol Agents and four TPD officers on the scene. Border Patrol officials proceeded to repeatedly pepper spray Mr. Alcaráz Ochoa, who suffers from asthma, before dragging him out, handcuffing him, and taking him into custody.
Corazón de Tucson and the Southside Worker Center are calling for a protest and press conference tomorrow, Monday, February 18 at 4:00pm outside the Tucson Police Department at 270 S. Stone Ave. They are demanding the immediate release without charges, of both Raúl Alcaráz Ochoa and Rene Meza Huertha. Furthermore, they demand an end to all deportations and to stop the assault on families by police and Border Patrol. They call for an immediate halt of the cooperation between Tucson Police Department and Border Patrol. As Alma Hernandez of
Corazón de Tucson, who herself has experienced detention and separation from her three young children shared, "We must end this attack on families. Deportations and detentions are destroying our community."
For further information regarding the protest and press conference please contact: Alma Hernandez of Corazón de Tucson at (520)304-8332; Stephanie Quintana of Southside Worker’s Center at (939)579-3534
UPDATE: Border Patrol Arrests Tucson Activist Raul Ochoa | The Range: The Tucson Weekly's Daily Dispatch

More from The Range,

It seems as though Mr Ochoa, a legalized citizen, is a professional community activist that specializes in supporting people that are homesteading in the US illegally.
Border Patrol Releases Alcaráz Ochoa, Rally at TPD Today 4 p.m.

POSTED BY MARI HERRERAS ON MON, FEB 18, 2013 AT 2:48 PM

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.


Tags: Rene Meza Huertha, Raul Alcaráz Ochoa, U.S. Border Patrol, Tucson Police Department, TPD,arrest, Isabel Garcia