Filipinos in US fear Trump immigration crackdown

Filipino-Americans from the Pilipino Workers Centre were among the immigrants groups that protested against US President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown on Dec 18, 2024. PHOTO: PILIPINO WORKERS CENTRE/FACEBOOK via The Straits Times/Asia News Network

MANILA, Philippines – A wave of fear is sweeping through Filipino communities in the US as President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown puts pending residency papers at risk and raises the specter of imminent deportation for those staying illegally.

Since his return to the White House on Jan 20, Mr Trump has signed a slew of immigration-related executive orders to toughen US border policy, tighten visa-vetting procedures and clamp down on illegal immigrants.

He also suspended refugee admissions and sought to end birthright citizenship, though the courts have temporarily blocked the move to end automatic US citizenship for children born to unauthorized immigrants on US soil.

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There were around 350,000 undocumented immigrants from the Philippines in the US as of 2022, the fifth-highest number after Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras, data from the US Department of Homeland Security showed.

According to the US Census Bureau, there were 4.1 million Filipino Americans as of 2022.

Filipino American civic leader Genevieve Jopanda told The Straits Times that migrant communities across the US are worried that Mr Trump’s tougher immigration policy could potentially lead to unjust treatment of migrants, regardless of their status.

“We believe that no one is safe,” said Ms Jopanda, who previously served as national co-chair for the Filipino Americans for Harris-Walz group that backed the Democratic ticket in the 2024 US presidential election.

READ: How Trump’s mass deportation plan will impact undocumented Filipinos

“There’s this misconception that if you’re a model minority, that if you work hard, pay taxes, you’re not a violent person, that you’re not going to be targeted. But there’s no screening mechanism to be able to say whether or not you are a threat to the community,” she said.

The fear is all too real for California-based homemaker Kristine Dela Cruz*, 37, a Filipina immigrant whose status in the US remains in limbo.

She used to hold a tourist visa until a relative, who was a naturalized US citizen, filed a petition to get her a permanent resident visa or green card.

She completed her paperwork in April 2024 but has not been given a visa interview slot to date.

Her husband, a Colombian native who was granted asylum in the US, supported Mr Trump in the recent election.

“My husband has recently been expressing his dismay about how the President is going after all undocumented migrants instead of only the ones who have criminal records,” Ms Dela Cruz said.

“He is even considering moving us back to his (birth) country or relocating our family to the Philippines if needed. But I am praying that circumstances will never require us to do that.”

Philippine officials have allayed fears that mass deportations of undocumented Filipino immigrants would happen soon. They said those who entered the US legally should have nothing to fear but vowed that Manila would be ready to assist any Filipinos in need.

READ: Trump 2.0 starts with big immigration crackdown

The Philippine Embassy in Washington on Jan 28 said there are 16 Filipino nationals in the custody of the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement, 15 of whom have deportation orders and one with a pending case. But all these were processed under the previous Biden administration.

Philippine Foreign Secretary Eduardo Manalo said in a Feb 2 press briefing in Manila that Filipinos generally have a “good reputation” in the US, given their contributions to fields like healthcare, banking and hotel services.

Foreign Undersecretary Eduardo de Vega told reporters on Jan 25 in the Philippine capital that Mr Trump is targeting illegal immigrants who have been involved in crime or those not contributing to the US economy.

“Filipinos are not like that… They are productive members of the US economy and a lot of them are conservatives,” he said.

It is a sentiment shared by Filipino Americans who voted for Mr Trump in 2024. About 2.14 million of them were registered voters at the last count, and political analysts have said Filipino Americans were crucial in helping Mr Trump sweep all seven swing states during the US polls in November 2024.

Critics say it seems counter-intuitive for Filipino Americans, some of whom came from immigrant families, to support Mr Trump.

But it is a non-issue for registered Republican and homemaker Mary Santos*, 63. She said those who want to stay in the US should do so through legal means, regardless of where they came from.

“No one is above the law. If the law says it, then so be it,” added Ms Santos, who lives in California.

“There are ways and means like seeking legal help from immigration lawyers. The most important thing is a person who wants to stay here must be properly documented.”

But some Filipinos are more sympathetic to the plight of undocumented immigrants who are cowering in fear because of the immigration crackdown.

Mr Prio Opelanio, 29, a green card holder who works for a non-profit organization, hopes the Trump administration will show some compassion even as it lays down the law of the land.

“Of course, the perspective of Republican Filipinos is that they got their citizenship the right way, so other people will have to do it as well. But that takes out the reality of the circumstances of others who probably do not have the same resources and social capital,” he said.

READ: 16 more undocumented Filipinos processed for deportation

Mr Opelanio is set to put in his application for US citizenship in February. Although he has a stable job in New York and no criminal record, he is still afraid his application may be rejected just because of his Filipino heritage.

As Mr Trump carries out his immigration crackdown, Mr Opelanio can only hope that the US government would do so in the “most humane” way possible.

“I’m a migrant, and I could never in my life imagine that I would close the door behind me once I got through,” he added.

“I hope Filipino Americans won’t forget that they’re still Filipinos. If one of us gets affected by this law in an inhumane way, there’s a huge chance that the same thing can be done to the rest of us.”