After serving in the United States Navy, Montemayor joined the former-Immigration and Naturalization Service in 1978 and served the nation for 26 years, retiring from the Department of Homeland Security/Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement.  Montemayor also served his colleagues as Chief Steward and Vice President of the American Federation of Government Employees, Local 3332.

He is now a small business owner in Crosby, TX, where he resides with his wife of 29 years, Noemi.  They have three children and four grandchildren. The Montemayors are members of Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Crosby. At his previous parish, Our Lady of Sorrows, Joe served as Grand Knight and Deputy Grand Knight of the 3^rd Degree with the Knights of Columbus. He has also served as an active member of the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP), the Disabled Veterans Association, and the National Association of Retired Federal Employees.