‘Law-abiding Filipinos in US not target of mass deportation’

MANILA, Philippines — Law-abiding Filipinos in the United States are not the target of president-elect Donald Trump’s mass deportation policy, an official of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said yesterday.

DFA Undersecretary Eduardo Jose de Vega said the incoming Trump administration plans to deport illegal immigrants involved in criminal activity or those who are not contributing to the US economy.

“Hindi tina-target ni president-elect Trump yung mga law-abiding Filipinos,” de Vega said in a Bagong Pilipinas interview.

The Philippine embassy and consulates general in the US will intensify their engagements with US officials to ensure the protection of the rights and welfare of Filipinos amid immigration policy changes under Trump.

In a statement on Thursday, the Philippine embassy and consulates general gave assurance that they “will continue to provide consular services to all Filipino nationals regardless of their immigration status.”

Philippine Ambassador to the US Jose Manuel Romualdez and the consuls general met on Dec. 10-11 to discuss a wide range of issues related to the incoming Trump administration and the emerging immigration policies.

“The heads of posts understand the uncertainty felt by certain segments of the Filipino community in the United States following recent pronouncements by the incoming administration,” they said.

The meeting is an important step in ensuring a unified, coordinated and effective response.

They reaffirmed their collective commitment to supporting and providing appropriate consular assistance to Filipino nationals while respecting US laws.

Romualdez said in November that he and the consuls would meet this month to plan how they can assist Filipinos illegally staying in the US after Trump announced he will carry out his promise of mass deportation of undocumented migrants.

Luzon economic corridor

The top US diplomat in the country believes that the US commitment to the Luzon Economic Corridor will remain in place under the incoming administration of president-elect Trump.

“You can be confident that there is very strong bipartisan support for the US-Philippine relationship, and that goes for the security relationship, the economic relationship and part of what governs that are these very strong people-to-people ties,” US Ambassador MaryKay Carlson said in a media roundtable at the ambassador’s residence.

“I’m very optimistic that across the economic field, the military field, everything that we do together, culturally, in education, health, foreign assistance. I’m very confident about the future based on our strong ties,” she added.

The US, Philippines and Japan announced the Luzon Economic Corridor in April, which will support transformative public and private investments.

Through this corridor, the partners aim to make high-impact investments across multiple sectors to accelerate economic growth, support connectivity particularly between Subic, Clark, Manila and Batangas and ensure adequate economic security and the attainment of self-sufficiency in the Philippines.

A steering group meeting was recently held for the Luzon Economic Corridor with the US, Japan and the Philippines.

“But other countries also participated to show what they would could bring to the table, what they were interested in. So for example the UK, Canada are also interested, Sweden, the Republic of Korea. Many of these countries are already doing work in this region,” Carlson said.