TWENTY-FOUR Filipinos accused of illegal activities were deported from the United States as the Trump administration launched its mass deportation of undocumented immigrants. 

According to Jose Manuel Romualdez, Philippine Ambassador to the United States, the 24 Filipinos were deported due to alleged involvement in criminal but minor activities. 

“We have monitored around 24 Filipinos who have been deported from the United States due to their involvement in certain criminal activities, although these were not classified as very serious offenses,” said Romualdez in an interview with dzBB on Sunday, January 26, 2025.

With this, he urged the other undocumented Filipinos in the US to not wait for the deportation order and, instead, to start working on their documents or voluntarily return to the Philippines. 

“There’s a small hope to those already here, those already working and paying taxes. They look like they have a good chance to get legal status, especially if their employers sponsor them,” he said. 

In accordance with the immigration policy changes under US President Donald Trump, the Philippine Embassy and consulates general in the US stated that they will strengthen their efforts to collaborate with US officials to safeguard the rights and well-being of Filipinos. 

In an announcement on their Facebook page, the Philippine embassy gave assurance that they will continue to cater and provide services to the Filipino nationals despite their immigration status, assuring the protection of their rights. 

“The Philippine Embassy and Consulates General in the United States are here to ensure that Filipinos are informed, safe, and supported. Kabayan, you deserve to know your rights,” they said. 

Meanwhile, President Trump’s return to White House saw intensification of his mass deportation policy, with troops patrolling the borders, immigration officers carrying out raids, and more immigrants— not just Filipinos— at risk of deportation. 

Trump has rescinded the executive orders enacted by former President Joe Biden that legitimize pathways for migrants’ arrival on their border. 

Trump also issued several of his own actions, most notably declaring an emergency at the U.S. southern border and attempting to prevent children born in the U.S. to certain immigrants from gaining automatic American citizenship, though a federal judge temporarily blocked the latter.

These actions sparked mixed reactions—heightened fears among immigrant communities and applause from some supporters.