Mexican Chef Who Cooked for George W. Bush Deported After 36 Years in the U.S.

Mexican Chef Deported in Texas

ICE Enforces 2002 Order

Family Separated in Waco

Sergio García Silva, originally from Monterrey and raised in Veracruz, built a life over more than three decades in Waco, Texas.

He arrived in the country undocumented and started a seafood business that became a local favorite.

His culinary talent even led him to serve dishes at the White House, where he cooked for then-President George W. Bush.

For 36 years, García Silva earned the respect of his community and raised a family.

Mexican Chef Deported After Cooking for Bush

Sergio García, the chef who cooked for George Bush, was deported to Mexico after more than 30 years in the U.S. Today, he’s turning his story around with a new made-to-order food business https://t.co/EjMFXrWl8x pic.twitter.com/coAXiCIi2K

— El Financiero (@ElFinanciero_Mx) October 29, 2025

At his restaurant, he met his wife and raised four children — all born in the United States. But despite his decades in the country and his family ties, he was never able to regularize his immigration status.

On March 25, 2025, his daily routine took a dramatic turn, according to Univision.

As reported by The Waco Bridge, while preparing to start his workday, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents arrived at his home and asked him to identify himself.

“You need to come with us,” was the order that changed the course of his life.

Detention and Deportation

“Successful chef deported to Mexico after 36 years in the U.S.: he cooked for George W. Bush.”

Reported by Edgar Martínez

Details https://t.co/kuELiQiG6W pic.twitter.com/qOnInODw5z

— Univision Noticias (@UniNoticias) October 27, 2025

The chef was arrested that same day and taken to a detention center, where he remained in custody for 60 days awaiting deportation.

RELATED: ICE Arrests Husband of Famous Mexican TV Host (PHOTO)

Although García Silva had no criminal record, a deportation order issued in 2002 remained active — from when he was previously removed from the country and later reentered irregularly.

After two months in detention, he was deported to Monterrey, the city of his birth.

There, he now faces a completely different reality — far from his family and the business he built through years of hard work.

His case highlights one of the strictest aspects of current immigration enforcement: executing old deportation orders that remain valid.

ICE justified its actions based on the active order and his lack of legal documentation to remain in the U.S.

Reactions and Family Consequences

The deportation of García Silva had a profound impact on the community of Waco. His children — all U.S. citizens — remain with their mother, struggling to keep the family business alive.

Local residents, who knew the chef as a hardworking and respected man, expressed sorrow over his deportation and the separation of his family.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) defended the decision.

“Sergio García Silva is a criminal. This illegal immigrant of Mexican origin was expelled from this country in March 2025, more than 20 years after a judge issued his final deportation order,” said Tricia McLaughlin, the department’s deputy secretary, in a statement to Newsweek.

The story of García Silva exposes the tension between U.S. immigration policy and the lives of those who have contributed for decades to the country’s social and economic fabric.

His case serves as a reminder that, for thousands of immigrants, even decades of work, family roots, and community respect do not guarantee protection from immigration law.