November 9, 2024 | 12:00am
MANILA, Philippines — Filipinos illegally staying in the United States are being urged to voluntarily leave the country instead of waiting to be deported.
Philippine Ambassador to the US Jose Manuel Romualdez issued the call yesterday in anticipation of stricter immigration laws that the incoming Trump administration intends to implement.
He said it would be better for undocumented Filipinos to voluntarily leave the US rather than risk possible deportation by January next year.
“Immediately leave voluntarily because once you’re deported, you can never come back to the US,” Romualdez was quoted as saying.
“At least when you leave, there’s a chance to come back,” he added, while also calling on Filipinos with problematic immigration documents to fix the same if possible.
Romualdez said those who can should legalize their immigration status in the US before president-elect Donald Trump assumes office in two months.
Trump has been vocal in his intent to implement stricter immigration laws and border security to protect American interests.
With reports estimating some 250,000 to 300,000 undocumented Filipinos in the US, Romualdez said it would be hard for illegal immigrants to keep hiding.
“My advice to many of our fellowmen who actually are still here but cannot get any kind of status, my advice is for them not to wait to be deported,” he said.
With Trump bent on keeping his campaign promise though such an initiative will take a lot of resources, Romualdez believes the increased exchange of information among US immigration authorities makes it nearly impossible for undocumented individuals to remain undetected.
He said nine out of every 10 undocumented Filipinos hiding in the US “will be discovered in some form or another,” also considering how easy it is now for anyone to report illegal immigrants to American immigration authorities.
In almost all of his campaign speeches, Trump has openly declared his plan to implement the largest deportation of migrants in US history.
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