An ad under Walton’s name ran in Sunday’s print edition of the New York Times.
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Billionaire Christy Walton Appears To Take Out Ad Calling For ICE To Release 70% Of Detainees

22 Mar 2026, 20:22 · Yahoo News

Topline

Walmart heiress Christy Walton appears to have taken out a full page ad in Sunday’s New York Times calling to release the reported 70% of people in Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody being held without a criminal record, in her latest public display opposing the Trump administration.

Key Facts

The ad begins with a reprinting of the text of the Fourth Amendment—the clause in the Bill of Rights protecting Americans against unlawful searches and seizures and requiring probable cause for warrants.

A digital version of the ad cites a study published last November by the Cato Institute, a libertarian think tank, which found that 73% of people in ICE custody since October 2025 had no previous criminal conviction, while only 8% had previous convictions for either violent or property crimes.

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The ad calls on the government to “free the 70% of those in custody of ICE without a criminal conviction” and “hold due process on those who remain.”

The ad does not appear connected to a wider organization or protest, like her full page ad placed last year promoting the “No Kings” protests was, and the text states its “views represented here are solely those of Christy Walton.”

The ad ran in Sunday’s issue of the New York Times, and appears to have run in several smaller papers over the weekend—although a representative for Walton did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Forbes Valuation

We estimate Walton’s net worth at $22.9 billion, making her the 108th-wealthiest person in the world as of Sunday. Walton married Walmart heir John Walton and inherited part of his stake in the retail giant after he died in a 2005 plane crash. Walmart did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Forbes.

Key Background

Although Walton is known for leading a private life in Wyoming, she has more recently emerged as a prolific donor for anti-Trump political causes. In 2024, she reportedly hosted a major fundraiser for Democratic nominee Kamala Harris in Jackson Hole. She was also one of several billionaires who called on former President Joe Biden to drop out of the race in 2024 in the weeks after his notorious debate performance. Since 2020, she has also donated over $500,000 to the PAC founded by anti-Trump conservatives, according to donor records. In 2025, she placed two ads in the New York Times print edition for the “No Kings” protest movement against Trump, including one just days before the June demonstrations took place.