A chef from Texas, once employed by former President George W. Bush, has faced deportation—twice—after authorities found out he had been living in the U.S. illegally for over thirty years.
Sergio Garcia’s food truck had become a beloved staple in Waco, Texas, and he was even hired by Bush to cater to members of the press during his presidency.
The former president and first lady Laura Bush posed for cheerful photos with Garcia, with one signed “with best wishes.”
However, it was revealed that the married father of four entered the U.S. unlawfully in 1989 by overstaying a tourist visa. He had also disregarded a deportation order issued by an immigration judge in 2002.
Garcia recounted to the Waco Bridge how immigration agents apprehended him on March 25, taking him back to Mexico in less than a day. “They asked me if I’m Sergio, and I said, ‘Yeah, I’m Sergio,’” he shared, recalling the agents approaching him at his food truck. “They said, ‘You gotta come with us.’”
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Nonetheless, he crossed the border back into the U.S. on foot in April—only to be deported again.
“On April 30, Garcia once again displayed disregard for the law by illegally reentering the U.S. near Laredo, Texas,” reported Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to the Waco outlet.
“U.S. Border Patrol agents arrested him that same day, leading to a criminal prosecution for illegal entry. He was convicted on June 3 and deported back to Mexico on June 4.”
The swift deportation of such a renowned and well-connected chef has taken many by surprise in the local community.
“Deportations like Sergio’s—impacting community staples—lead people to think, ‘This could happen to me, my favorite spot, or someone I see every day,’” stated Mito Diaz-Espinoza, president of the Cen-Tex Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.
ICE maintained that “the twice-deported criminal alien from Mexico illegally entered the U.S., was given full due process under the law, and was ordered deported by an immigration judge at significant taxpayer expense.”
“In total defiance of our nation’s legal system, he evaded authorities and remained an immigration fugitive for over 23 years,” the organization emphasized regarding the duration since his 2002 deportation order.
Garcia’s wife has joined him in Mexico, and the couple is working toward the legal means to return to the U.S. They assert that they invested years and “so much money” trying to obtain legal status prior to his deportation.
“I wish I could go back to the USA, but it’s not up to me,” Garcia remarked.
Blake Burleson, a deacon at the Seventh and James Baptist Church in Waco, expressed how much he will miss Garcia’s remarkable culinary skills.
“I thought El Siete Mares was the best restaurant in Waco,” Burleson commented. “Whenever we had guests, that was our place to take them.”
