At an online press conference held on August 17 by Tanggol Migrante Movement (TMM), Filipino migrants victimized by deportation under the fascist Trump regime narrated their experiences, sentiments, and conditions. Among the speakers were Jane, the daughter of Flavia Cahoon, as well as Zenar dela Cruz and Ligaya Jensen.
TMM and Migrante USA denounced the baseless deportation of Filipino migrants in the US. They also condemned the Philippine embassy and consulate and the US-Marcos regime for disregarding Filipino migrants’ hardships. The victims have lived in the US for decades and suffered under the Trump regime’s violent anti-migrant policies.
Since Trump assumed office for the second time, the persecution and abduction of migrants in the US have intensified and become more violent, they said. In June, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) increased its quota to 3,000 arrests per day. ICE funding rose to $170 billion to carry this out. Most facilities used by ICE are owned by business interests that profit from the high number of detainees.
ICE also targeted Filipino migrants. In recent months, US Customs and Border Protection targeted at least 100 Filipino seafarers and deported them based on fabricated accusations of possessing child pornography videos. These Filipino migrants worked on ships such as Carnival Cruise, Carnival Mardi Gras, and Carnival Vista.
During the press conference, deportation victims narrated their stories and emotions, highlighting the Philippine embassy and consulate’s neglect and lack of assistance while they were imprisoned. They also described the hardships of life in the Philippines, including the absence of medical services, the lack of jobs with living wages, and the pain of being separated from their families in the US.
The victims were deeply insulted by New York consul general Senen Mangalile for saying that for Filipino migrants unable to fix their status in the US, returning to the Philippines was “as simple” as buying a ticket and boarding a plane. They said this was untrue and reflected disregard for their suffering.
Cahoon, 64 years old and a US resident since 1992, was scheduled to be detained by ICE on August 5 after her hearing but chose to self-deport. According to her daughter Jane, her mother believed she could not endure life in an ICE facility, especially with her illness and her previous experience of imprisonment.
Dela Cruz was deported from the US on May 19 after being detained for three years in an ICE facility. The Philippine embassy told him that the DSWD would assist him upon his return to the Philippines but received no help up to now.
“Upon my return, what helped me was Migrante International. But the support of organizations should not replace the Philippine government’s responsibility and duty to its citizens,” Zenar explained.
“I am speaking not just to share my story, but to call for action not only for myself but for everyone. OFWs make huge sacrifices, yet they receive only silence when they need help. We deserve to come home to a country that truly cares for us,” Zenar added.
Jensen returned to the Philippines on July 31 after being detained for more than six years in various ICE facilities. She recounted her experiences in detention, including the neglect of detainees’ health, inhumane treatment, being fed food unfit for humans, and various abuses. They were also forcibly subjected to strip searches every time they received visitors.
In addition, ICE deported Ester Soliman, a mother from Lancaster, Philadelphia, on August 15. Before this, ICE agents arrested her on August 4 during her routine check-in. She and her family learned of her deportation only when she was already at John F. Kennedy Airport in New York.
TMM continues to call for the release of Kuya G, Kuya Darren, Tito Ernie, Tita Rebecca, Kuya Sonny, and other Filipino migrants detained in Arizona, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, and Washington.
TMM also calls on the government to provide support for deported Filipino migrants, such as medical and livelihood assistance.
