“Leave now!”
This was the advice given by Philippine Ambassador to the United States Jose Manuel “Babe” Romualdez to Filipinos staying illegally and undocumented in the US, last November 8, 2024.
With the return of President-elect Donald Trump to office, he has made it clear that he will crack down on undocumented immigrants in the US.
Because of this, Romualdez advised Filipinos illegally residing in the said country to voluntarily leave than risk being permanently barred from reentry or facing deportation.
“My advice to many of our 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, because I can see that the administration of President Trump is really going to be very strict with the immigration policy that he intends to put in place.” Romualdez stated.
He also emphasized that this is an opportunity, then later file and process their immigration status at the appropriate time.
He then stressed to follow the rules and regulations imposed by the country to avoid consequences.
“At least if you leave, there is always the opportunity or the chance that you’d be able to file at the right time. Just follow the rules and regulations of the country – that’s the only way,” he said.
Currently, an estimated 250,000 to 300,000 Filipinos in the US are at risk of being blacklisted or deported. However, the envoy pointed out that this number is relatively lower compared to other nationalities.
He also emphasized that the US continues to recognize Filipino healthcare workers as essential to its workforce, with many health service companies reaching out.
“That’s one sector that really gives a great image to the Filipino community here because the nurses are so much appreciated, and by every single one of them, from the president of the US all the way down to anyone working that has been able to have a Filipino nurse take care of them or their loved ones,” he said.