A New York Times (NYT) reader has an inadvertently hilarious question for advice columnist Max Read.
“My housekeeper has been working for me since 2019, a few hours every other week. Our relationship is very good but professional: I don’t know anything about her life. Nonetheless, if she needed me outside of a work context, I would want to be there for her,” the anonymous reader begins.
“To be clear, I don’t know her immigration status, only that she is not a native English speaker. But I worry that she could be profiled if [Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)] came to our city. How can I intimate to her that if she were in trouble, she could call me for help or support? Should I even say anything, or would it be overstepping?” (RELATED: Editor Daily Rundown: Trump Honors Angel Families Amid Criminal Illegal Alien Crackdown)
Permit me to translate.
‘I’ve employed a working class immigrant to clean my house. She’s illegal, right?’
😭😭😭 pic.twitter.com/FHbtoylRBO
— Natalie Sandoval (@NatSandovalDC) February 24, 2026
A beautiful, multi-layered virtue signal. The anonymous reader wants to signal to their maid that, despite (presumably) being wealthier and more powerful than her, they are on the side of the little guy. Our anonymous liberal wants to signal this fact to fellow NYT readers, too — but wants the public to know that they’re keenly sensitive to causing offense to their housekeeper.
“In this context, your offer — well-intentioned as it obviously is — is almost, by definition, ‘overstepping,’” writes Read.
“You run the risk of ruining the relationship, or at least of having a very awkward conversation: For all you know, she supports ICE’s deportation mandate.” (RELATED: Watch Principal Lay Down The Law To Students On Anti-ICE Walkout)
Read suggests that the reader should not ask about their housekeeper’s legality.
“Keep your overture short, simple and general: ‘I just want you to know, if you ever need help with anything — not just work things — you can call me anytime. I mean that.’ (Presumably she has your cellphone number.)”
The funniest possible outcome would see the anonymous question-asker accidentally hiring a legal immigrant who does support ICE. A “Curb Your Enthusiasm” scene in the making.
Follow Natalie Sandoval on X: @NatSandovalDC
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