65-year-old celebrated Mexican chef deported after 36 years living in the U.S.: ICE agents end an American dream
Sergio García, who had lived and worked in the United States for 36 years, was deported in March. He ran a successful restaurant in Waco, Texas.
Up until recently, Sergio García ran two successful and popular business ventures in Waco, Texas. Sergio’s Mexican Cuisine & Seafood and Sergio’s Food Truck, both located a stone’s throw from each other on Austin Avenue.
Among the eminent visitors to his restaurant, were President George W. Bush along with the dozens of press corps who worked in nearby Crawford.
Sergio Garcia built a wide following for his regional Mexican cuisine over the decades, becoming a favorite of the White House press corps visiting Waco during the Bush presidency.
— Texas Tribune (@TexasTribune) October 8, 2025
Then in March, ICE came looking for him. https://t.co/PigLuDlUro
Fresh homemade Mexican cuisine in Texas
Sergio and his wife Sandra, who moved to the United States in 1989, started out with the award-winning El Siete Mares Restaurante which ran until 2011. In 2013, the Garcías opened a new restaurant on bigger premises. There, locals would lap up tasty Mexican dishes such as Chipotle Salmon, Coconut Shrimp and a specialty from Sergio’s hometown, Filete a la Veracruzana.
Business was booming, online reviews were excellent, so Sergio decided to open another site further down the road. The popularity of both establishments with the local community was down to a few basic premises: the best quality produce, friendly service, and great value.
But in March this year, Sergio’s world was unexpectedly turned upside down. As he was heading out to load up his Food Truck, he was approached by two police officers.
Sergio Garcia, celebrated Chef who came to the US before ICE even existed. Deported after 36 years.
— Alex Tabarrok (@ATabarrok) October 7, 2025
The picture tells you a lot about the decline of the Republican party.https://t.co/GfrPB5nnza pic.twitter.com/lGX5RH4Jr0
ICE agents come knocking
At first he thought it was just a misunderstanding - after all, he had no criminal record. What was still lurking somewhere on a federal database was a deportation order for illegal re-entry dating back to 2002 that was never enforced. At the time, visa overstays were considered a minor administrative violation. Immigration agents had never attempted to enforce it and Sergio had forgotten about it.
But it seems that old deportation orders from years ago are being dug up and investigated. Within 24 hours, ICE agents had Garcia deported across the border into Nuevo Laredo, Mexico. His wife Sandra, who is also undocumented, joined him in July. The couple are now based in Monterrey while their four adult children, all born in the US, remain in Texas.
Two of the daughters, Esmeralda and Astrid, continued running the Food Truck business until it closed on September 27, to the dismal of the local community.
The couple’s family are currently exploring legal options will the hope that their parents will be allowed to return to the US. “I had a lot of friends, my family, my business, my church in Waco,” Sergio Garcia said. “Truly, I miss everything.”
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