America’s ICE-cold treatment of some of the hardest working people I have ever met is appalling to witness
Some of the hardest-working people I have met were lawbreakers.
Their crime? They were in the United States without the proper documentation. They had crossed the southern border in search of work, money and security. They put in long hours, lived communally and sent much of their income home to support their families.
Were they a threat to our nation? Did they pose a danger to their fellow Texans? Was I worried when I spent time around them?
No, no and hell no.
I lived in Texas from January 1985 to January 1988. Over those three years, I sold cars — well, tried to — worked at a pair of restaurants and wrote for several newspapers. I lived in Galveston and in the Houston area, and that part of Texas was extremely diverse, with white, Hispanic, Black and Asian people sharing space and dealing with the heat, humidity and dangerous traffic.
When I was a waiter at Coconut’s, a beer and burger joint on the Galveston Seawall, and then at Gaido’s, a legendary seafood restaurant on the island, I worked with people from across the United States. We also had coworkers from Mexico and a number of Central American nations.
Most were busboys, a demanding and fast-paced job. They had to hustle to clean tables to make room for the next set of diners. There were other tasks they were required to perform.
Gaido’s had an interesting division of labor. Almost all the cooks were Black, as were a small group of senior waiters known as “captains.” They had worked at the restaurant for decades, and were assigned large tables by the window that were often the source of good tips.
Most of the other waiters were white folks like me. We took what tables we could get from the manager, Norberto, and his brother Arturo. Most of the hosts were Hispanic as well, as were the busboys.
There were some exceptions, but the divisions were apparent to anyone who witnessed the full-speed madness of serving hundreds of people a day. It was a highly demanding job but it paid fairly well. On a good Sunday, you could make $200 in tips, which was pretty fair money four decades ago.
I couldn’t come close to doing that job today. I was in my mid-20s then and in good shape, but my back, knees and feet ached after a long day of carrying heavy silver trays across concrete floors.
The busboys worked just as hard, and for a lot less money. Waiters shared some of their tips with them, a show of appreciation for their work. If you tipped fairly, and were courteous and respectful, your table was cleared faster, meaning you could get more customers and earn more tips.
I learned that from some veteran waiters.
My great friends Ted and Tom Bennett were among the best waiters. They were loud, brash and rebellious, but also two of the best in the place. I learned to listen and watch them to understand how to do the job well.
One thing they made clear was their admiration for the busboys. They explained to me these young guys had come from El Salvador, Nicaragua and other countries to escape forced involvement in the military or in drug gangs. They literally came to the USA to save their lives.
They also made much more money here than they could in their troubled home countries. They ate at work, shared housing with their fellow workers, and sent much of their money home to help their parents and siblings.
It turned out, these weren’t just young men hauling off dirty dishes. They were heroes, doing their best to ensure the security of their families.
I have met other people like those busboys in recent years. They worked at Midwest dairy farms, doing work that locals won’t do. They are in cold, smelly barns, milking and feeding cows.
They also live in crowded conditions and spend most of their time on the farm, putting in long hours, staying in dormitory-like settings near barns equipped with satellite dishes so they can watch TV programs in Spanish. They shop in small towns, often visiting stores when few others are shopping. You can see Hispanic foods stocked in shelves, which is a clear indication.
Are many of them undocumented workers? Are they in the USA illegally? Yes. Are they doing vital work that our country depends on? Definitely.
I have been thinking a lot about those folks in recent months as I see reports of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) teams rounding up farmworkers and others who are here to try to make a living and support their families.
There were 14 million undocumented people in the USA in 2023, according to an August 2025 report from the Pew Research Center. That total had risen dramatically from 2021-23. The legally admitted immigrant population grew steadily from 24.1 million in 2000 to 37.8 million in 2023, according to that report.
In South Dakota, the Hispanic population doubled from 2010 to 2020. It’s now around 45,000, or about 5 percent of the population.
Good. We need people, especially those willing to work. Look around you at all the help-wanted signs. Ask owners and managers if they want decent, hard-working folks.
The politically and racially motivated enforcement and punishment is one of the most shameful episodes in our history. The people I have met, known and worked with were some of the best workers, and human beings, I have ever met.
Fourth-generation South Dakotan Tom Lawrence has written for several newspapers and websites in South Dakota and other states for four decades. He has contributed to The New York Times, NPR, The London Telegraph, The Daily Beast and other media outlets. Do not republish without permission.
Photo: public domain, wikimedia commons
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