A total of 69 Filipinos are currently under the custody of the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), according to the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA).
DFA Undersecretary for Migrant Affairs Eduardo de Vega said the individuals were arrested in a series of immigration crackdowns conducted by US authorities. He stressed that the Philippine government is providing them with legal assistance while their cases are being processed.
At this stage, none of the Filipinos have been deported or transferred to another country. De Vega explained that under an existing internal arrangement, the US government is required to alert the DFA if any Filipino is set to undergo legal proceedings or face possible deportation.
He added that the notification protocol applies not only to immigration-related arrests but also to criminal cases involving Filipino nationals in the US.
