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Berkeley diner supervisor detained by ICE at airport, released after habeas petition

Sep 15, 2026·Location: Berkeley, CA

Country of origin: Mexico

Berkeley diner supervisor detained by ICE at airport, released after habeas petition
Photo via KTVU

Sergio Ivan Chaparro Ayala, a longtime shift supervisor at Oceanview Diner in Berkeley who lives in Richmond and supports two children, was detained by federal immigration agents at Oakland International Airport on August 28, 2026, while preparing to board a flight to Las Vegas for an anniversary trip with his partner, Estefani Montes. Chaparro, who entered the U.S. on a tourist visa that expired in 2020, has no criminal record and suffers from severe sleep apnea requiring a CPAP machine; he was moved between several detention facilities in California and Washington state, and Montes struggled to get him access to his medical equipment. Restaurant co-owner Will Bishop described him as friendly and well-liked by customers and coworkers. Attorneys from Centro Legal de la Raza filed a habeas corpus petition arguing his detention violated due process, and a federal judge granted a temporary restraining order ordering his immediate release and barring ICE from re-detaining him without a hearing before a neutral decisionmaker. Coworkers and community members raised more than $25,000 through a GoFundMe to cover his legal costs, and a preliminary injunction hearing was scheduled for September 15, 2026.

Timeline

Sep 15, 2026—Habeas corpus petition led to a federal judge granting a TRO for his release; preliminary injunction hearing scheduled
Aug 28, 2026—Detained by ICE agents at Oakland International Airport while preparing to board a flight to Las Vegas
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