Filipino green card holders in the United States risk losing their permanent residency if they are convicted of a crime, Philippine Ambassador to the US Jose Manuel Romualdez warned on Monday.
The statement came following the detention of Lewelyn Dixon, a Filipina who moved to Hawaii five decades ago and was recently held by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) while returning from a trip to the Philippines.
Romualdez explained that the US, under the administration of President Donald Trump, is ramping up efforts to detain undocumented migrants—starting with those with criminal records. ICE data showed over 32,000 migrants have been detained in Trump’s first 50 days in office, half of them with prior convictions.
“Even green card holders could lose their status if they break the law,” Romualdez said in a radio interview in the Philippines. “May legal status na sila, pero kapag gumawa ng mali, pwedeng kanselahin ang green card.”
Dixon’s lawyer, Benjamin Osorio, said in an ABS-CBN News that her only conviction was for a non-violent embezzlement case in 2001. She served 30 days in a halfway house and paid a fine. He noted that her recent international travel triggered her detention and that she had not faced such issues in previous trips.
The ambassador also advised undocumented Filipinos to voluntarily return home and pursue legal immigration processes instead. He warned that those hiding in the US, commonly referred to as “TNTs” (tago ng tago), now face higher risks as US agencies are sharing data to track illegal residents.
The Philippine Embassy has activated 24/7 hotlines for Filipinos needing assistance and reminded everyone that they have rights regardless of their immigration status. The DFA has also urged Filipinos in the US to keep a low profile and begin legalizing their stay if they haven’t already.
