Tanggol Migrante Chicago condemned US Immigration and Customs Enforcement for detaining two Filipinos who have long been living in the US.
Authorities arrested small business owner “Tito E” on June 11 at O’Hare International Airport while he was returning home from the Philippines. According to Tanggol Migrante, he was placed in a facility with inhuman conditions. They locked him in a room that was extremely cold, windowless and without a bed. He did not even receive the jackets his family sent him. Meanwhile, he only received a plastic blanket and a small amount of food. They also transferred him several times to various facilities.
A few months earlier, authorities arrested worker “Tita R” during an ICE “routine check-in” on March 14. The routine check-in is conducted for immigrants with deportation cases, those waiting for a decision on their application, or those released from detention who need to report as part of their supervision.
They transferred her four times to different facilities and locations. Her thighs swelled from being chained every time she is moved for one location to another. She wasdeprived medication for her liver and blood pressure for several days. She said many of them were crowded into a room with inhumane conditions.
They have received no assistance from the Philippine consulate or embassy ever since.
The arrest of Tito E and Tita R is part of the Trump regime’s intensified campaign to pursue immigrants in the US. At present, ICE agents have an overwhelming quota to apprehend 3,000 immigrants per day. US human rights defenders consider the state’s actions as abduction and not arrest because of its illegal pursuit of immigrants without legal basis. They said that being undocumented is not a crime.
According to the group, the cases in Chicago show the increasing number of Filipinos detained in ICE facilities in various parts of the US. The situation of Filipino immigrants in their area is similar to the experience of Kuya Dante and Aunty Lynn in Seattle, “we can draw inspiration from their courage, strength, and collective victory for their freedom.”
“As conditions worsen and attacks intensify, we must collectively protect each other and our community. Let us fight like Aunty Lynn and Kuya Dante!” the group declared.
Tanggol Migrante Chicago calls on the Philippine consulate in Chicago to provide urgent assistance to them through visits and by calling for their immediate release.
