Migrants' network call for assistance to US-based Filipinos affected by mass deportations

An alliance of migrant groups is calling on the Philippine government to provide assistance to Filipino migrant workers affected by the mass arrests and deportation of undocumented aliens in the US under the Trump administration.

In a virtual press conference Thursday (Philippine time), the Tanggol Migrante rejected the remarks of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) that no undocumented Filipinos have been arrested so far, citing testimonies from some healthcare workers in Chicago who were reportedly apprehended by the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

Nerissa Allegretti, president of the National Alliance for Filipino Concerns (NAFCON) US, said Chicago became “ground zero” for the mass deportation. She also said eight healthcare workers were recently arrested by ICE, six of whom were detained and deported without a judicial warrant within a 24-hour turnaround.

“We want the Filipino government to take action. There are a lot of nice reports from the newspapers. Compared to what we’re doing right now, there’s a disparity… I expect more from the Philippine government while we face this situation,” said Allegretti.

On Wednesday, de Vega stated that Filipinos who were deported had already been under the custody of the United States before President Donald Trump took office on January 20. He also clarified that deportation orders are only conducted against undocumented aliens with criminal records.

“A handful have been sent home, but their cases were pending, and they were under US custody already even before Trump took over,” de Vega told GMA News Online.

“At present, deportations are being conducted against undocumented aliens with criminal records or pending criminal cases,” he said.

Philippine Ambassador to the United States Jose Manuel Romualdez had said that he was coordinating with Filipino-American lawyers from the Filipino American Legal Defense and Education Fund (FALDEF) for legal assistance. Earlier, he called on undocumented Filipinos not to lose hope, especially for those who had clean records and have been working in the US for years.

However, he clarified that it might only be possible for Filipinos who overstayed their tourist visas.

“Those people who have been working here and paying taxes probably have a better chance of staying,” he said.

The Department of Labor and Employment stated that they would be preparing assistance for Filipinos who would be deported as a result of the immigration crackdown. —VBL, GMA Integrated News