Community members are rallying to support a longtime Los Angeles gardener and his family after he chose to self-deport following a detention by federal immigration agents.
Alberto Cabral, 73, came to the United States from Mexico at the age of 15 and spent nearly six decades living and working in the Los Angeles area. For decades, he worked as a landscaper, serving clients in Westwood, West Hollywood, and the Hollywood Hills. Neighbors and clients described him as reliable, hardworking, and deeply rooted in the community.
Cabral has faced significant health challenges in recent years. According to his longtime client Ruby Llamas, he suffers from heart disease and diabetes and recently fractured his lower leg and tailbone. He also had an open wound on his lower leg. Despite these physical hardships, Cabral continued working and never missed a job, earning admiration and respect from those he served.
Although he had lived in the U.S. for most of his life, Cabral remained undocumented. On Jan. 7, while working outside Llamas’ West Hollywood home, he was surrounded and detained by federal immigration agents.
“They came at him aggressively and he asked them, ‘Please don’t touch me, I’m injured. I won’t resist, but please don’t injure me,’” Llamas said. “They were a little bit more gentle with him, but nonetheless, they still were very assertive in how they took him away.”
News of Cabral’s detention left neighbors and loved ones devastated.
“I just feel completely gutted,” Llamas said. “He has been working for us for 10 years. He was an extension of our community, our friends.”
Cabral was taken to a detention center in downtown Los Angeles, where authorities offered him the option to leave the country voluntarily. Citing concerns for his health and safety, he agreed and chose to self-deport to Tijuana, Mexico.
Cabral had been the primary caretaker and financial provider for his 97-year-old mother and his longtime partner, 70-year-old Gloria Blanco.
When asked how she would respond to critics who argue that Cabral should have pursued legal status, Llamas said the situation is not so simple.
“I don’t think it’s just a black and white situation,” she said. “Unfortunately, he has low literacy, so navigating that whole [documentation] process is a challenge for that population.”
To help support Cabral and his family during this transition, Llamas has created a GoFundMe page to assist with medical and living expenses.