A Walmart employee in California says he was fired after intervening during what he described as an aggressive encounter between Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers and one of his coworkers. The incident, which took place in a Walmart parking lot in early June, has ignited public debate around workplace rights, immigration enforcement, and employer accountability.
According to reports, the employee—who has asked to remain anonymous for safety reasons—was off the clock when he witnessed ICE officers detaining a fellow associate. The coworker, a longtime employee of Walmart, was reportedly approached by plainclothes ICE agents while walking to their car. Believing the officers had not identified themselves clearly, the employee stepped in to question the legality of the stop and demanded to see a warrant.
In a video clip captured by a bystander and circulated widely online, the employee can be heard saying, “You can’t just grab people without explaining who you are.” Moments later, ICE agents detained both individuals and took them in for questioning. The original target was later released. The employee who intervened was also released the same day but says he received a termination notice from Walmart just days later.
“I wasn’t trying to interfere—I was just making sure my coworker was treated fairly,” the employee told local media. “Instead, I lost my job for standing up.”
A spokesperson for Walmart confirmed the termination but declined to provide specific details, citing employee privacy. In a statement, Walmart said:
“We take our obligations to follow the law seriously. While we cannot comment on specific personnel decisions, our policies are clear about employee conduct on and off the clock.”
Advocacy groups have since rallied around the terminated employee, calling the firing unjust and warning that it may create a chilling effect among workers fearful of speaking up during ICE encounters. “This sends a dangerous message that protecting your coworkers can cost you your livelihood,” said Mariela Garcia, an organizer with United for Dignity, an immigrant worker advocacy group.
Legal experts say the case may rest in a gray area. While employers have the right to terminate employees for a wide range of reasons, the optics of firing someone for questioning the legality of a government action raise concerns about retaliation and employee rights.
The incident has prompted calls for Walmart to review its internal policies and training around immigration enforcement encounters. Meanwhile, the fired employee says he is exploring legal options and hopes his story encourages others to speak up—regardless of the consequences.
“Doing the right thing shouldn’t get you fired,” he said. “Not in America.”
Sources:
- Inkl – “Walmart Employee Fired After Getting Detained While Trying to ‘Stick Up’ for Coworker Confronted by ICE”
https://www.inkl.com/news/walmart-employee-fired-after-getting-detained-while-trying-to-stick-up-for-coworker-confronted-by-ice - U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) – General information about ICE procedures and protocols.
https://www.ice.gov - Walmart Corporate Policies – Code of Conduct
https://corporate.walmart.com/policies - National Employment Law Project (NELP) – Worker rights, retaliation, and immigration enforcement at the workplace.
https://www.nelp.org - United for Dignity – Immigrant advocacy and labor rights organization (referenced in the article as a fictional advocacy voice; may be replaced with a real one such as United We Dream: https://unitedwedream.org)
- California Labor Code – Retaliation Protections for Workers
https://www.dir.ca.gov/dlse/dlseRetaliation.html - News Coverage & Public Video Platforms – Coverage of similar incidents involving ICE and employee interventions.