topline
Walmart heiress Christy Walton appears to have taken out a full-page ad in Sunday’s New York Times calling for the release of the 70 percent of people reportedly detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement without criminal records, her latest public outcry against the Trump administration.
An ad in Walton’s name appeared in Sunday’s print edition of The New York Times.
Getty Images
main facts
The ad begins with a reprint of the text of the Fourth Amendment — the provision in the Bill of Rights that protects Americans from unlawful searches and seizures and requires warrants with probable cause.
The digital version of the ad cites a study released in November by the Cato Institute, a libertarian think tank, which found that 73% of people detained by ICE since October 2025 had no criminal history, while only 8% had a violent crime or property crime history.
The ad calls on the government to “release the 70 percent of ICE detainees without criminal convictions” and “enforce due process for the remainder.”
The ad appears to have no connection to the wider organization or protests, like her full-page ad promoting the “No King” protests last year, and the text states that “the views represented here are solely those of Christy Walton.”
The ad appeared in Sunday’s edition of The New York Times and appeared to have appeared in several smaller newspapers over the weekend — although a representative for Walton did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Forbes Valuation
As of Sunday, we estimate Walton’s net worth at $22.9 billion, making her the 108th richest person in the world. Walton was married to Walmart heir John Walton and inherited part of his stake in the retail giant when he died in a 2005 plane crash. Walmart did not immediately respond to Forbes’ request for comment.
main background
Although Walton is best known for living a private life in Wyoming, she has recently become a prolific donor to anti-Trump political causes. In 2024, she reportedly hosted a major fundraiser for Democratic candidate Kamala Harris in Jackson Hole. She is also one of several billionaires calling on former President Joe Biden to drop out of the 2024 race just weeks after his infamous debate performance. She has also given more than $500,000 to PACs founded by anti-Trump conservatives since 2020, according to donation records. In 2025, she ran two ads targeting Trump’s “No King” protest movement in the print edition of The New York Times, including one just days before the June demonstrations.
further reading
More from ForbesBillionaire Walmart heiress drives nationwide anti-Trump protestsJemima McEvoy
