At least 24 Filipinos have been deported by the United States government for their alleged criminal activities, Philippine Ambassador to the United States Jose Manuel Romualdez said yesterday.
He said those who were deported were involved in “not very serious” criminal activities.
“Marami na rin, well hindi naman marami, pero ang bilang namin something like 24 na. They have already been deported dahil they were, meron silang, hindi naman very serious crimes, pero they were involved in some criminal activity. They were already deported, something like 24,” the ambassador said in a Super Radyo dzBB interview.
The Filipino envoy also allayed fears over the situation of Filipino immigrants in the US, saying there are employers who are keen on keeping their Filipino employees and are helping them in obtaining their legal status.
"Yan ang malaking pag-asa. Ang mga talagang nandito na at nagtatrabaho naman sila at nagbabayad naman sila ng buwis, mukhang Malaki ang chance nila na makukuha nila ang legal status lalo na pag-i-sponsor na sila ng kanilang employers (That's our big hope. Those who are working here and are already paying taxes, their chances to get their legal status are big, especially if their employers will sponsor them)," Romualdez said.
Romualdez had earlier said that the US government will prioritize the deportation of those who have criminal records, as well as the 1.3 million immigrants who were already processed.
He advised Filipinos in America without "any kind of status" to voluntarily return to the Philippines or start working on their documents and not to wait to be deported.
Keep low profile, legalize your stay
The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) advised undocumented and overstaying Filipinos in the US to a “keep a low profile” and work to legalize their stay as the Trump administration tightens immigration policies.
At the Saturday News Forum in Quezon City, Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Eduardo Jose De Vega said the DFA will extend aid to Filipinos who will reach out to the Philippine Embassy or the consulates in the US.
“Our advice is to keep a low profile as possible and work for your legalization,” he said.
He noted that President Donald Trump said he can work with Democrats about illegal aliens who don’t fall under the categories of illegal immigrants they target to deport, namely “criminals and terrorists.”
“That means they will make legal means to encourage these productive overstaying aliens to be totally legalized. So, take advantage of that,” he added.
De Vega noted that all Filipinos, even if undocumented, traveled to the US with at least a visa in their possession.
“Lahat ‘yan may visa. Nag-expire lang. Walang halos tumawid na walang kapapel-papel (Everyone had a visa, it might just have expired. No one crossed without at least one document),” he said.
De Vega said it is “almost impossible” that the estimated 300,000 Filipinos without legal status in the US would be deported by the end of the Trump administration.
“If you are targeted for deportation, you have legal means also to contest your deportation and at least legally stay for several months,” he said.
"(Some immigration lawyers could) argue that you are doing something productive in the US. And sometimes, it's a success, it prevents deportation," he shared.
During the first Trump presidency, De Vega said the US deported “only a few hundred or less” undocumented Filipinos every month, lesser than the number during the Obama administration.
“Tingnan natin, kunwari bigla lang in six months may 20,000 na-deport o 10,000, then umakyat talaga. Huwag tayo mag-conclude until makita natin iyong data in six to eight months kung dadami ang made-deport (Let's see if by six months it balloons to thousands then there really is an increase. Let's not conclude until we see the data in six to eight months),” he said.
He reiterated that that the Philippine government is ready to respond should this planned mass deportation impact Filipinos.
He added that the government could easily tap the DFA Assistance-to-Nationals fund.
There is also the Department of Migrant Workers’ Aksyon (Agarang Kalinga at Saklolo para sa mga OFW na Nangangailangan) Fund, which is used for legal, medical, financial and other forms of assistance for overseas Filipino workers, like repatriation and intervention to protect the rights of nationals.
“The President talked to President Trump and our ambassador has assured them that they’ll give them the assistance,” he said. (With PNA)