Philippine ambassador warns of mass deportation under Trump

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines' ambassador to the United States has called on undocumented Filipino workers there to start the process of obtaining legal status before US President-elect Donald Trump assumes office next year. 

With an estimated 250,000 to 300,000 undocumented Filipinos currently in the US, Philippine Ambassador Jose Manuel Romualdez advised them to immediately seek legal aid or face deportation, which could permanently bar them from re-entry.

Trump secured a return to the White House in a decisive electoral victory earlier this week after leading a campaign that promised "the largest deportation effort in American history." 

On Friday, November 8, Trump told NBC News that his administration has "no choice" but to carry out that promise and that it will not have a price tag.  

"My advice to many of our fellow men who actually are still here but cannot get any kind of status, my advice is for them not to wait to be deported," Romualdez said in a forum with international and local media on Friday.

The ambassador said it is likely that Trump will proceed with his plans of deporting illegal immigrants en masse. But this will "take a lot of resources," he added.

The increased exchange of information among American immigration authorities now makes it nearly impossible for undocumented individuals to remain undetected, Romualdez said.

He estimated that nine out of 10 "TNTs" (tago nang tago or always hiding) — a term coined for Filipinos abroad who are in hiding or overstaying — "will be discovered at some form or another." Different US departments from immigration to the transportation security administration (TSA) are now interconnected, he added.

"Plus, anybody can just simply send a picture of you or whoever it is to the [US Immigration and Customs Enforcement.] That's the one that goes after illegal immigrants, and then you have a problem," Romualdez said. 

The Trump administration, now backed by a Republican-controlled Congress, is likely to pass and implement even stricter immigration laws, Romualdez added. 

"Whatever laws or whatever rules are in place will continue. But the potential of that being changed, because especially now that the Republicans are in control of both the House and the Senate, it will probably be quicker or it will be much more easier to come up with new immigration laws," he said. 

These potential new laws could set stricter qualifications for those qualified to become a permanent resident in the US, he added. 

Filipino-Americans as 'great workers'

However, Romualdez emphasized that legal pathways for Filipinos to work legally in the US could expand, particularly in critical sectors. 

He cited ongoing discussions with Guam officials to increase the hiring of Filipino construction workers for military bases. 

"They would prefer to have Filipino workers because they're the best, according to them," Romualdez said.

The healthcare sector could offer another opening. The ambassador cited "quite a number" of health services companies who have approached him to increase the number of Filipino nurses they can hire from the Philippines.  

"That's one sector that really gives a great image to the Filipino community here because the nurses are so much appreciated," Romualdez said. 

The ambassador also revealed Trump's firsthand experience with Filipino workers in his business empire. "He has quite a number of Filipino-Americans working in his hotels and also working in his golf clubs. He looks at them as somebody that he really appreciates as great workers," Romualdez said.

"And that's an asset that we have that kind of image," he added.

This workforce dimension in Philippine-US relations becomes relevant as Trump prepares to retake office amid heightened South China Sea tensions. 

While some analysts believe that a Trump-led US will not be as involved in deterring China's encroachments in the South China Sea, Romualdez believes otherwise. "On the defense side, I think that there will be not much change. A lot of it, again, is because it is mutually beneficial for both our countries," he said.

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For Romualdez, Trump's "transactional" approach and tendency to take a negotiator's stance in foreign policy should highlight what the Philippines can offer to the US in exchange for its support. 

The Philippine workforce is the country's "biggest asset," he said.

"In fact, that has given us the opportunity to be able to be a factor in the economy of the world," he added.