Members of the Filipino community in Washington state are urging the Philippine Consulate General in San Francisco to provide a clear plan for assisting Filipinos who are facing deportation and other immigration challenges.
In an open letter, Migrante Seattle and Migrante at the University of Washington Medical Center announced their intention to address these concerns during the consulate general’s outreach event in Washington state this weekend.
“Within the past few months, there has been an increase in the number of Filipino migrants detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Washington state has one of the largest detention centers in the country, and Filipinos here know intimately the inhumane conditions of these facilities,” they said.
The groups reported that Filipinos they visited in detention experienced minimal to no communication from the Philippine Consulate and received only “empty promises or redundant advice to hire legal support after weeks of voicemails.”
They plan to urge the consulate general to provide specific actions to support those already detained, as well as individuals who have been deported or repatriated.
“What is the plan to reach out to all registered OFWs, Filipino nationals, and their families here in [Washington State] to inform them of their rights and what the [consulate general] can do to support
“What strategies are in place to connect with all registered Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs), Filipino nationals, and their families in [Washington State] to inform them of their rights and the support the [consulate general] can offer?”
“Our overseas compatriots, the Philippines’ ‘new heroes’, deserve timely, meaningful, and concrete support from our government,” Migrante Seattle and Migrante sa University of Washington Medical Center said in their open letter.
“The Philippine government does not get to force us to carry the Philippine economy and then turn their backs on us in our time of need,” they also said.
“What we in Migrante want from our consulate and government is simple. We want to ensure the well-being, rights, and welfare of our kababayan, especially those who are trafficked and in detention, are seriously and diligently addressed,” they reiterated. (ZIA LUNA)
