An undocumented immigrant was arrested on Thursday during a standoff in Massachusetts that involved her family and federal authorities. Juliana Milena Ojeda-Montoya is reported to have repeatedly stabbed a co-worker with scissors and even attacked the victim with a trash can last summer.
According to the Department of Homeland Security, Ojeda-Montoya was initially stopped by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents during a traffic stop in Fitchburg, which is about 90 miles east of Boston. At that moment, she was in the car with her husband, Carlos Zapata Rivera, who is also an illegal immigrant from Ecuador, and their child sitting on her lap instead of a car seat.
During the traffic stop, authorities informed Ojeda-Montoya that there was a warrant for her arrest and requested that she hand the child to her husband. She reportedly refused, which led to Rivera having a seizure. Although ICE officers called 911, Rivera declined medical assistance and showed no apparent medical concerns, as per the DHS.
The DHS stated, “Despite several attempts by ICE law enforcement officers to de-escalate the situation and repeated requests for the father to take custody of the child, the parents were willing to place the child in state custody.” When Rivera realized he would be arrested for immigration violations if he didn’t agree, he decided to leave with his children.
Ojeda-Montoya allegedly resisted arrest during the process, and a crowd began to gather, escalating tensions. Reports indicate that some crowd members shouted obscenities and made threats against law enforcement, including anti-Semitic remarks.
The Fitchburg Police Department sent officers to the scene to maintain order. In response, DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin criticized claims that authorities triggered Rivera’s medical episode, asserting that ICE was targeting a known criminal. She emphasized that medical officials determined there was no legitimate medical emergency, and video evidence captured Rivera’s actions. McLaughlin insisted that law enforcement had requested custody of the child, which Rivera refused, prior to deciding to leave with his kids.
Rivera told the Boston Globe that the incident escalated when an immigration officer “compressed her neck.” He expressed concern about the situation, especially with a baby present.
Ojeda-Montoya illegally entered the U.S. near Lukeville, Arizona, on February 22, 2023, during the Biden administration, and was released the following March. She is currently held in the Cumberland County Jail in Scarborough, Maine, awaiting further processing in ICE custody. Rivera entered the U.S. illegally on the same day as his wife and was also released later on.
