Lang
1/10/26
An employee of the Bread Garden Market who was taken into custody by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, is now free.
The Iowa City Catholic Worker House reported Saturday morning that Jorge González Ochoa has been returned to his home. The group posted a picture to Facebook of González Ochoa celebrating his new freedom with his friends and family.
Gonzalez Ochoa was arrested at the Bread Garden on the Ped Mall on September 25th, with bystander video of the arrest going viral. Escucha Mi Voz Iowa called the arrest a “kidnapping.” An ICE statement claimed Gonzalez Ochoa was in the country illegally, and his arrest, based on a fraud investigation, was, in their words, “a lawful, intelligence-driven enforcement action.”
No other details have been made available on why González Ochoa was released or whether or not all charges have been dropped.