News/Commentary

ICE came for her gardener. Then the neighborhood came out of the woodwork.

September 9, 2026 | | Print Article

University of California San Diego Professor Barbara Walter updated the internet on her efforts to get her gardener back after his ICE arrest.

Walter, the author of “How Civil Wars Start,” posted the update on X, revealing the extensive steps she and her neighbors have taken after Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) apprehended her gardener. According to her own post, he had been in the country for 28 years and has a wife and children, but apparently hadn’t taken the steps to secure citizenship despite coming to the United States as a 16-year-old.

Look:

“I have an update on my gardener who was taken by ICE. Three big things have happened since then,” she wrote. “The neighbors have all come together to help. We hired a good immigration lawyer for him. We also found someone willing to serve as his financial sponsor. That matters because one of the things the government will consider is whether he’s likely to show up for future hearings. Having someone willing to vouch for him, and having deep ties to his family and community, can help.”

“We’ve raised enough money to post a bond if he’s granted one,” she added. “We think he has a strong case for being released from detention while his case proceeds. He has lived in the United States since he was 16. (He is now 44.) He runs his own business. He has a wife and two young children. He owns his home. And he has many, many people willing to write letters saying that he’s an important part of this community and is not going anywhere. We’ll have to wait to see if it’s granted. Fingers crossed.”

Then, Walter took issue with the Trump administration wanting efficiency in the immigration and deportation process.

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“His lawyer is asking to postpone his court date, which is currently scheduled for next week. This is really important. The Trump administration is trying to move people through the immigration system quickly so it can deport them as fast as possible. His lawyer wants time to gather evidence and build the best possible case for letting him stay. Again, fingers crossed,” she said.

“But this is what really broke my heart. My gardener was finally able to get a call through to his wife two days ago. This strong, confident, capable man was terrified. He didn’t know what to do. Then his wife told him what everyone was doing behind the scenes. He sobbed. I don’t know if we are going to get him home. I wish I could tell you that we will,” her post continued. “But I do know that we are seeing both the best and worst of America in real time. The worst is a system that can take a man away from his wife and kids and leave him sitting in detention, terrified. The best is a group of people who heard what happened and immediately asked: What can we do? And then they did it. I’m betting on that America.”

X users had a lot to say:

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Sierra Marlee
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