More than 20 Filipinos in the United States have been deported as part of US President Donald Trump’s mass deportation efforts, Philippine Ambassador to the US Jose Manuel Romualdez revealed on Sunday.
Romualdez stated that 24 Filipinos were sent back to the Philippines due to their involvement in minor criminal activities. “Hindi naman very serious crimes, pero they were involved in some criminal activity,” he said during a Super Radyo dzBB interview.
The ambassador emphasized that the US government is prioritizing the deportation of individuals with criminal records and the 1.3 million undocumented immigrants already processed for removal. Romualdez urged Filipinos without legal status in the US to voluntarily return to the Philippines or work on their documents to avoid being deported.
He added that Filipinos who are legally employed and paying taxes in the US may have a better chance of regularizing their immigration status, especially with employer sponsorship.
The Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) previously announced its commitment to assisting over 300,000 undocumented Filipinos in the US who may face deportation under Trump’s stricter immigration policies.
Trump, sworn in as the 47th US president earlier this week, has declared illegal immigration a national emergency and has instructed the military to aid in tightening border security.
