He never got a chance to pick up his diploma

Just one day after walking the stage, a South L.A. grad was taken away at a routine ICE check-in

- By Itzel Luna

Wilber Urbina Garcia had an ambitious list of errands to run the day after his high school graduation, before his summer really began.

The shy boy was the first in his family to walk the graduation stage, and he was determined to get a head start on his future. He had a diploma to pick up, a high school textbook to return and fall classes to register for at El Camino College.

Those plans had to wait until the family completed a check-in with Immigration and Customs Enforcement that morning. The appointments had become second nature since they entered the country from Nicaragua seeking asylum in late 2022.

The family of five left their South Los Angeles home before sunrise and arrived at the federal courthouse ahead of their 8 a.m. appointment.

That evening, they came home without Wilber. He had been taken into custody by immigration agents.

“All he wanted was to learn, but all of his dreams just came crashing down,” said Winston Garcia, one of Wilber's older brothers. “We don’t know what’s going to happen to him. We don’t know if he'll get out, or when.”

Even the scorching sun wasn’t enough to wipe the smiles off the Garcia family’s faces as they watched Wilber cross the stage at Jordan High School on June 9, graduating with high honors.

The family posed next to Wilber, who had long struggled to speak up but had flourished in the last four years. Winston's phone filled up with photos of Wilber with friends, teachers and counselors.

Those same teachers rushed to write character references when they found out that Wilber had been detained by ICE.

They describe a shy but headstrong kid, who was extremely disciplined and dedicated to his studies. By his senior year, Wilber could present projects in English and held leadership roles at the school.

Wilber enjoyed playing the vintage video games he collected with his oldest brother and was learning how to play baseball with his friends.