Marisa Anne Ong

Overview Marisa Ong is Senior Counsel at Singleton Schreiber, where she is part of the firms Personal Injury, Civil Rights, Mass Torts, and Sexual Assault and Human Trafficking practice groups. Before joining the firm, she served for over 14 years with the U. S. Attorneys Office for the District of New Mexico in the Las Cruces office. In that role, she supervised a group of attorneys in the Violent and General Crimes sectors, as well as oversaw case intake for the entire office. Her prosecutorial work concentrated on cases involving victims, including child exploitation, sex trafficking, violent crime, and civil rights violations. During her time as a federal prosecutor, Ms. Ong handled some of the most high-profile cases in the district including the prosecution of Jesse Denver Hanes who received a life sentence after he shot and killed Officer Jose Chavez in Hatch, NM. She also led the successful prosecutions of numerous child exploitation offenders, including Michael Blackburn and Jeffrey Biddle, both of whom received life or near-life sentences for crimes involving minors. More recently, Ms. Ong has concentrated her practice on civil rights cases involving law enforcement officers who willfully violate individuals constitutional rights. Complementing her litigation work, she has led a wide variety of trainings for federal law enforcement personnel, including attorneys at the United States Attorneys Office. Ms. Ong has also first-chaired numerous federal jury trials and has briefed and argued many cases to the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals. She is also actively engaged in community outreach efforts focused on promoting child safety and expanding access to legal education. Ms. Ong earned her J. D. from the University of Michigan Law School in 2009, where she was a part of the Latino Students Association, participated in Campbell Moot Court, and volunteered for the Family Law Project. She holds a B. A. in Psychology with a minor in Legal Reasoning from the University of Texas at El Paso, where she competed nationally on the mock trial team and interned at the El Paso District Attorneys Office. She is admitted to practice in the state of Colorado, the state of New Mexico, the state of Texas, the United States District Court for the District of New Mexico, the United States District Court for the Western District of Texas, and the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals. In her off time, Ms. Ong enjoys spending time with her husband, Tyler, and their daughter, Josephine. An avid runner and traveler, she counts Croatia among her favorite destinations and once completed a half-marathon in 1 hour and 41 minutes. Honors & Awards September 2018: Recognized with a special award for exceptional advocacy during oral argument in United States v. Blackburn, 785 F. Appx 539 (10th Cir. Aug. 23, 2019). This case involved the conviction of Blackburn for multiple counts of producing child pornography. September 2019: Received a Special Act Award for making a high-quality, significant contribution and demonstrating sustained high-level performance in the prosecution of Daniel Lowell. Lowell pleaded guilty to multiple charges including high-speed flight at a checkpoint, carjacking, and being a felon in possession of a firearm. Lowells flight resulted in the death of retired LCPD Officer J. R. Stewart. February 2020: Honored with an FBI award for outstanding assistance in a joint investigation leading to the prosecution of Dain Adams, who was convicted by jury trial of multiple child exploitation offenses. August 2023: Presented with a Special Act Award for a high-quality contribution to the prosecution of Oscar Orrantia. Orrantia, a former Customs and Border Protection officer, was convicted by jury trial of willfully violating an individuals constitutional rights through unlawful excessive force. September 2023: Recognized by the FBI with an award for outstanding prosecutorial skills and assistance to the agency in my role as a Supervisory Assistant United States Attorney (AUSA). September 2023: Received a special award from Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) for prosecuting Michael Rivera, recognized as the 2022 HSI SAC El Paso Child Exploitation Case of the Year. Rivera was convicted by jury trial of multiple child exploitation crimes. Professional Affiliations Affiliations Former Member, Committee for the Local Rules for the District of New Mexico Detailed to Provide Security for President Joe Bidens August 2023 Visit to Albuquerque Board Member for Mesilla Valley CASA New Mexico Trial Lawyers Association Member New Mexico Hispanic Bar Association Member Southern New Mexico Bar Association Member New Mexico Womens Bar Association Member Membership Academy of Truck Accident Attorneys News & Publications News 2.26.2026 Media Mention, Silver City Daily Press Lawsuit Filed Over Alleged Sexual Abuse by Former Bayard Police Officer On February 26, 2026, the Silver City Daily Press featured Marisa Ong, Senior Counsel at Singleton Schreiber LLP, in coverage of a civil rights lawsuit filed against former officer Jesus ... 2.20.2026 Media Mention, Santa Fe New Mexican Lawsuit: Deming Police Officer Assaulted 16-Year-Old Girl for Months While on the Job On February 20, 2026, the Santa Fe New Mexican featured Marisa Ong, Senior Counsel at Singleton Schreiber LLP, in coverage of a civil lawsuit filed in Luna Countys 6th Judicial District ... 2.16.2026 Media Mention, KTSMLawsuit Alleges Teen Girl Abused by Deming Police Officer Marisa Ong, Senior Counsel at Singleton Schreiber LLP, was featured by KTSM in an article titled Lawsuit Alleges Teen Girl Abused by Deming Police Officer, published on February 16 ... 2.14.2026 Media Mention, KOB 4Deming, NMDPS, former officer sued over teen sex abuse case Marisa Ong, Senior Counsel at Singleton Schreiber, was featured in coverage of a civil rights lawsuit accusing former Deming police officer Jesus Lopez Jr. of sexually exploiting a ... 2026 Media Mention, Albuquerque Business First Law Firm to Open Las Cruces Office as Part of NM Expansion Brian Colón, Managing Partner at Singleton Schreiber, was featured by Albuquerque Business First in an article reporting on the firms expansion into southern New Mexico with the ... 1.21.2026 Media Mention, Glamour The Cost of Staying Calm Marissa Ong, Senior Counsel at Singleton Schreiber, was featured in Glamour, where she discussed how women manage fear and uncertainty when dealing with authority. Drawing on her ... 1.18.2026 Media Mention, Albuquerque Journal He Almost Signed His Own Deportation. A Habeas Petition in a New Mexico Federal Court Saved Him. Marisa Ong, Senior Counsel at Singleton Schreiber in New Mexico, was featured by the Albuquerque Journal in a long-form investigative report examining the sharp rise in federal habeas ... 11.26.2025 Media Mention, El Pais Two months without answers about the dog killed by the Border Patrol in El Paso 11.20.2025 Media Mention, KFOX14 Congresswoman Demands Justice After Border Patrol Agent Kills Family Dog in El Paso Raid Singleton Schreiber Senior Counsel Marisa Ong was recently featured in a KFOX14/CBS4 news article regarding a mans dog being fatally shot by a border patrol agent. El Paso Congresswoman ... 11.19.2025 Media Mention, KTEP Public Media Family Demands Answers After Border Patrol Agent Shoots and Kills Their Dog Inside Home Marisa Ong, Senior Counsel at Singleton Schreiber in Las Cruces, was featured in a KTEP News report, Family Demands Answers After Border Patrol Agent Shoots and Kills Their Dog Inside Home ... 11.18.2025 Media Mention, KTSM 9El Paso man claims Border Patrol shot, killed dog without justification Senior Counsel Marisa Ong was recently mentioned in a KTSM 9 article referencing an incident where a Border Patrol Agent fatally shot an El Paso mans dog. 10.17.2025 Event El Paso family seeks justice after Border Patrol allegedly killed their dog during search Marisa Ong, Senior Counsel at Singleton Schreiber, was recently featured in a KFOX 14 article. An El Paso family is demanding justice after their dog, Chop, was allegedly shot and killed by ... 10.3.2025 Media Mention, Law360 Judge Orders ICE to Release Dreamer Detained for 2 Months In a court decision by a Texas Federal Judge, ICE must release a Dreamer who has been detained for 2 months. District Judge Kathleen Cardone declined to add any comment on the legal implications ... 10.3.2025 Media Mention, El Paso MattersA huge victory: ICE cant ignore DACA protections, legal advocates say after El Paso area federal court rulings Two El Paso County DACA recipients, Catalina Xóchitl Santiago and Paulo Cesar Gamez Lira, were recently released from ICE detention following separate orders by federal judges, who ... 10.3.2025 Media Mention, KFOX14 Report: El Paso DACA recipient Catalina Santiago has been released from ICE custody DACA recipient Catalina Xóchitl Santiago has been released from ICE custody following a federal judges order declaring her two-month detention unconstitutional. U. S ... View More View Less Speaking Engagements 11.20.2025 Speaking Engagement, Albuquerque, NMNuts and Bolts of Immigration Habeas Corpus Petitions Posts 9.26.2025 Protecting Your Child from Online Predators: Essential Tips for Keeping Kids Safe on Digital Platforms In todays digital age, children are spending more time on social media, gaming platforms, and virtual worlds, which provide opportunities but also risks from online predators. In their ...