President Bongbong Marcos Jr. recently met with former US President Donald Trump at the White House — but something important wasn’t talked about: the strict US immigration rules that many Filipinos are worried about.
No Talk About Immigration
In a press conference after the meeting, President Marcos told reporters that the issue of immigration did not come up at all.
“It wasn’t mentioned during the meeting,” Marcos said.
“But we know what’s going on.”
Trump’s Tough Immigration Plans
Since Donald Trump started his second term as US President in January, he has made it very clear that he plans to be very strict on immigration.
He promised to:
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Enforce the law more strictly,
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Deport illegal immigrants, especially those with criminal records or court convictions.
But Marcos said these aren’t exactly new policies.
“These actions are pretty much the same as before,” he said.
“They’re going after people who broke the law or stayed illegally.”
What About Filipinos in the US?
Many Filipinos in America are living without proper documents — some came on tourist visas and then stayed too long (called TNTs in the Philippines, meaning “Tago Nang Tago” or always hiding).
The Philippine Embassy in the US is helping them by:
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Giving legal advice through immigration lawyers,
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Explaining their options to avoid being arrested or deported.
A Warning From the Ambassador
Ambassador Jose Manuel Romualdez, who represents the Philippines in the US, gave a serious reminder:
“If you’re undocumented, it’s better to leave the US voluntarily than wait for deportation.”
He explained that leaving on your own gives you more control and less risk than being arrested by US authorities.
A Filipino Among the Arrested
Just recently, US immigration agents arrested a 29-year-old Filipino living in Middlesex, Massachusetts. He was one of 11 illegal immigrants caught in a special operation by ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement).
The US Department of Homeland Security said these people were convicted of crimes and living illegally in the country.
