A Filipino green card holder’s unexpected detention at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport has triggered protests and criticism over the handling of his case by both American and Philippine authorities, Inquirer.net reported.
Maximo “Max” Londonio, 42, who has lived in the United States since he was 12, was taken into custody by US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) on May 15 after returning from a family vacation in the Philippines. Despite a clean travel record in recent years, authorities reportedly flagged him over old nonviolent offenses from his youth.
His wife Crystal, a US citizen, expressed anguish over the lack of transparency in her husband’s case. “The lack of accountability by the United States CBP is failing him right now. It’s failing everybody,” she said at a rally held outside the airport, where supporters held signs and chanted “Free Max now.” She only learned of his transfer to an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility days later after struggling to get answers.
Londonio’s detention is not an isolated case. Tanggol Migrante, a Filipino migrant rights group, noted that at least four other Filipino green card holders are currently detained at the Northwest Detention Center in Tacoma, including Lewelyn Dixon, who was arrested at the same airport in February.
Efforts to get support from the Philippine Consulate General in San Francisco, which has jurisdiction over Washington, were met with delays and limited response. Crystal said their emergency hotline offered vague information and that Assistance to Nationals Officer Bernice Santayana failed to respond for two days. The consulate later confirmed Londonio was not in ICE custody—a claim easily contradicted by public online records.
Jo Faralan of Tanggol Migrante criticized the Philippine government’s inaction. “Crystal already feels the U.S. government has failed her. It’s shameful that the Philippine government has failed them too,” she said.
While the Philippine embassy maintains that it is providing “appropriate consular assistance,” over 100 organizations have signed an open letter demanding accountability from top officials, including Consul General Neil Ferrer and Ambassador Jose Manuel Romualdez.
The case has reignited calls for systemic reforms and better protection for Filipino migrants abroad, particularly for those facing immigration scrutiny despite long-standing residency in the US.
