Filipino migrant groups across several U.S. cities staged coordinated protests over the weekend to demand the release of 38 Filipinos currently detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
In New York City, demonstrators gathered in front of the Philippine Consulate on Sunday, urging the Marcos administration to take action and provide legal and financial support for the detained Filipinos, as well as those already deported.
The rally, organized by Bayan USA Northeast, coincided with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s State of the Nation Address in Manila. Protesters also called on the Philippine government to oppose deportations to third countries, stressing the need for direct repatriation to the Philippines.
According to the Department of Foreign Affairs, 38 Filipinos are currently in ICE custody and are undergoing deportation proceedings.
Similar protests were held Saturday in Los Angeles, Chicago, and Seattle, while other solidarity programs took place Monday in Washington DC, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Portland.
As of 2023, the Philippine Statistics Authority reported more than 108,000 Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) in the United States. From 2012 to 2022, the Commission on Filipinos Overseas recorded over 300,000 Filipinos who migrated to the U.S.
